Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Morton, Texas, October 22, 2001
On October 22, 2001 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N4395S, was destroyed in an accident near Morton, Texas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of control of the airplane during an aerial application maneuver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 2001 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Morton, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Registration
- N4395S · registry record · serial 301-0055
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During day VFR, the airplane struck the terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering during an aerial application flight. Witnesses observed the airplane at approximately 400 feet agl make a near vertical right turn and a left turn before descending and impacting the ground. A postimpact fire destroyed the airplane. No mechanical discrepancies were found that would have precluded operational control of the aircraft prior to the impact.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all
- Last flight review: April 22, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,316 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 20, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: F85 Morton TX at 6:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.