Air Tractor INC AT-301 accident near Leland, Illinois, August 17, 2009
On August 17, 2009 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-301, registered N73102, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Leland, Illinois (Hendrickson Flying Service airport). 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
A total loss of engine power in flight due to a loss of engine oil as a result of the separation of the propeller hub components for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 2009 · about 11:00 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Leland, Illinois · Hendrickson Flying Service · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-301 · all AT-301s on the register
- Registration
- N73102 · registry record · serial 301-0656
- 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 he was spraying a field when “oil started hitting [his] windshield” and the engine lost oil pressure. Shortly thereafter, the engine “clattered and then quit.” He executed a forced landing into a corn field, where the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot noted that there was no indication of a problem prior to the loss of engine oil. A postaccident inspection revealed oil spray residue on the engine cowling and windshield. Examination determined that the spring puller bolt assembly and the piston gasket nut had separated from the propeller hub. The components were not recovered, precluding further examination. As a result, the exact nature of the failure could not be determined.
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
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller hub section › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller hub section › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,905 hours in all; 466 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 105 in the last 30 days; 12,231 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,042 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R1340 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hendrickson Flying Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: IL93 Creston IL at 10:00 pm
- Destination: IL93 Creston IL
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 pm from ARR, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 1, 2009. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Propeller Assembly Diagram | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N73102 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Air Tractor Inc AT-301 83 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: P&W R1340 SERIES 1,229 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Hendrickson Flying Service Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,069 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN09CA535.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.