Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Redwood, Mississippi, August 25, 1983
On August 25, 1983 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N8511S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Redwood, Mississippi. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 1983 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Redwood, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Registration
- N8511S · registry record · serial 301-0134
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A SOYBEAN FIELD AFTER SEVERE VIBRATION DEVELOPED DURING A SPRAYING OPERATION. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE POWERPLANT AND FLT CONTROLS WERE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE COUNTERWEIGHT BEARING SHAFT (P/N 63546) BROKE ALLOWING THE PROPELLER BLADE TO GO TO HIGHER PITCH WHILE THE OTHER BLADE REMAINED AT CRUISE PITCH SETTING. EXAMINATION OF BOTH PROPELLER BLADE COUNTERWEIGHTS REVEALED THAT THE INTERNAL PARTS HAD MINIMUM AMOUNT OF LUBRICATION. THE SHAFT THAT BROKE WAS ALSO RUSTY AND THE INNER BEARING RACE WAS BROKEN WITH 5 BALL BEARING MISSING. THERE WERE OTHER MAINTENANCE DICREPANCIES ON THIS SHAFT ASSEMBLY. THE TOTAL TIME OF THIS HAMILTON STANDARD 12D40 PROPELLER IS UNKNOWN. THE TIME SINCE THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED IS 194 HOURS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 17,931 hours in all; 2,049 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 17,931 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,574 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 9, 1983; 194 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNE Redwood MS at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.