Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Town Creek, Alabama, September 29, 1986
On September 29, 1986 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N44245, was substantially damaged in an accident near Town Creek, Alabama. 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
- September 29, 1986 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Town Creek, Alabama · 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
- N44245 · registry record · serial 361-0084
- 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 PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE HAD DEVELOPED A 'MISS' AND A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING WAS MADE NEAR THE COTTON FIELDS INTENDED TO BE SPRAYED. TROUBLE-SHOOTING AND FULL POWER RUN-UPS DID NOT REVEAL ANY PROBLEMS, THEREFORE, THE PILOT ELECTED TO TAKEOFF AND CONTINUE THE AERIAL APPLICATION. DURING INITIAL CLIMB AT 30 FT AGL THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND A HARD FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN THE COTTON FIELD. THERE WAS NO DETERMINATION AS TO THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF POWER.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,500 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,398 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 22, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Town Creek AL at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 66°F (19°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.
Other NTSB records under N44245 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.