Accident Air Tractor Inc AT-301 N36597, Tuesday 7 April 2009

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Date:	Tuesday 7 April 2009
Time:	11:06 LT
Type:	Air Tractor Inc AT-301
Owner/operator:	Wenzel Richard E
Registration:	N36597
MSN:	301-0331
Year of manufacture:	1981
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney R-1340
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Corning, Arkansas - United States of America
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Corning, AR (4M9)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The commercial pilot was on departure from initial takeoff when the engine "popped" several times and stopped producing power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a rice field off the departure end of the runway. The pilot found the number one cylinder head cracked during a postaccident examination of the airplane. Additional examination of the airplane revealed damage to the left aileron and both horizontal stabilizers. Additional examination of the cracked cylinder head could not be accomplished and a cause of the failure was not determined.

Probable Cause: A loss of engine power due to the failure of the number one engine cylinder for undetermined reasons.

Accident investigation: