Air Tractor AT 301 accident near Partridge, Kansas, August 29, 2018
On August 29, 2018 at about 6:23 pm local time, a 1984 Air Tractor AT 301, registered N3164K, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Partridge, Kansas (Hutchinson Regional 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
The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2018 · about 6:23 pm local time
- Place
- Partridge, Kansas · Hutchinson Regional · 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 No Series, built 1984
- Registration
- N3164K · no longer on the register · serial 301-0535
- 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 commercial pilot reported that he had been flying for about 1 hour and was returning to the airport when the engine lost total power while the airplane was about 1,000 ft above ground level (agl). Although the engine momentarily regained power twice, for about 3 seconds each time when he used the manual fuel pump, the airplane continued to lose altitude. He attempted to land on a road but was unable to properly align the airplane's flightpath with the road. The airplane stalled about 20 ft agl, contacted the road, and bounced before coming to rest in an adjacent field, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident engine examination did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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 (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 548 hours in all; 208,215 in this make and model; 207 in the last 90 days; 105 in the last 30 days; 512 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 26, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,578.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 2018; 200 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340-AN1 (piston); 10,499 hours total
- Operator: Ag Air Service Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: HUT Hutchinson KS at 5:30 pm
- Destination: HUT Hutchinson KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from HUT, 12 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 April 5, 2019. 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 | Maintenance Records -- Airframe (Excerpt) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records -- Engine (Excerpt) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Conversation Summary -- FAA Flight Standards | 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.