Air Tractor INC AT-301 accident near Lamoni, Iowa, August 1, 2022
On August 1, 2022 at about 7:20 pm local time, a 1974 Air Tractor INC AT-301, registered N4326S, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Lamoni, Iowa (Lamoni Municipal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of airplane performance for reasons that could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 2022 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lamoni, Iowa · Lamoni Municipal 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, built 1974 · all AT-301s on the register
- Registration
- N4326S · registry record · serial 301-0006
- Damage
- Destroyed
- 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 accident flight was the sixth or seventh aerial application flight that he performed on the day of the accident. He stated that the run-up and takeoff for flight were normal. When he turned toward the intended field of application, he “noticed a lack of performance.” The pilot attempted to restore airplane performance without success. He dumped the load of aerial applicant, and airplane then impacted trees and terrain. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The pilot stated that at the time of the accident the engine instrument indications, which included engine power and propeller speed. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and the reason for the airplane’s reported lack of performance was not 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
- Unknown or undetermined during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,400 hours in all; 810 in this make and model; 311 in the last 90 days; 156 in the last 30 days; 4,794 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 9, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,958 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt&Whitney R-1340 S3H1G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Stardust Ag Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: LWD Lamoni IA at 7:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 9:20 am from KLWN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N4326S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN22LA354.