Air Tractor AT-401 accident near Warsaw, Illinois, May 12, 2001
On May 12, 2001 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-401, registered N1008Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Warsaw, Illinois. 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 rocker assembly failure during low level maneuvering. Factors were the soft and sandy terrain and the unsuitable terrain the pilot encountered during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2001 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Warsaw, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-401
- Registration
- N1008Q · registry record · serial 401-0702
- 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 airplane sustained substantial damage when the airplane nosed over during a forced landing following an in-flight loss of engine power. The pilot reported no injuries. The pilot stated, "At approximately 10:30 AM spraying operation was nearing completion when in a pull out of the field being sprayed the engine made a bang, started running very rough and backfiring. Within a couple seconds the engine had lost all power and died. The pilot landed in a field that happened to be very soft and sandy. The aircraft rolled approximately 100 ft on its wheels before nosing over on its back. After further investigation it was determined a rocker shaft housing had broken on the #4 cylinder. As a result the exhaust valve was not opening. As the intake valve opened, it created backfiring into the induction system causing the engine to fail."
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,320 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 4,320 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 15, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,648 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 13, 2001; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Ferris IL at 2:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from EOK, 10 miles away
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 N1008Q 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.