Air Tractor INC AT 301 accident near Hessmer, Louisiana, May 5, 2014
On May 5, 2014 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 1986 Air Tractor INC AT 301, registered N7309Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Hessmer, Louisiana. 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 partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because a full examination of the engine could not be performed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 2014 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hessmer, Louisiana · 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 NO SERIES, built 1986 · all AT 301s on the register
- Registration
- N7309Z · registry record · serial 301-0645
- 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 stated that the radial engine lost power as he approached a rice field that he was going to spray; he made a forced landing on a levee. The main landing gear hit a soft spot during the landing and the airplane veered off the road into a field, where it flipped inverted. Although the pilot suspected the blower had failed, the blower was not accessible for examination and no discrepancies were noted in the airplane's maintenance logbooks. The insurance company totaled the airplane and no further examination of the engine could be performed; accordingly, the reason for the loss of power 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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during maneuvering defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 709 hours in all; 475 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 68 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,760 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2013
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R1340 SERIES (piston); 10,124 hours total
- Operator: Pro-Air LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Hessmer LA
- Destination: Hessmer LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 12, 2014. 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 | NTSB 6120 Form | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Email, FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Email, Recovery Personnel | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.