Accident Air Tractor AT-400 N400MJ,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 37523
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Tuesday 25 May 1999
Time:09:45 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic AT3T model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Air Tractor AT-400
Owner/operator:Jordan Air
Registration: N400MJ
MSN: 400-0676
Total airframe hrs:4949 hours
Engine model:P&W PT6A
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Elkhart, KS -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:Ulysses, KS (KEHA)
Destination airport:(KEHA)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The aircraft was being flown from Ulysses, Kansas, following maintenance to the aerial spray system. A drilling rig worker, operating at a 96-foot tall temporary oil-drilling rig, located approximately 0.75 miles north of the accident site, said that the airplane came directly at them on a south heading. The worker reported that the altitude of the aircraft was below the height of the rig (96 feet) but above his position approximately 50 feet above ground level. The worker stated that the aircraft banked right to avoid the tower and flew southerly into the fog. The airplane impacted terrain approximately 0.75 miles south of the drilling rig. The weather 50 nautical miles east of the accident site was reported as overcast at 300 feet above ground level. Witnesses estimated the local ceiling to be 180 to 200 feet at the time of the accident. There is no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing. There were no mechanical discrepancies found during the examination of the wreckage that could be associated with a preexisting condition.

Probable Cause: The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision and his inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions which resulted in spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of aircraft control. Contributing to the accident was the poor weather conditions.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CHI99FA165
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 11 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB CHI99FA165

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:23 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
26-Nov-2017 15:13 ASN Update Bot Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
08-Apr-2024 05:53 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org