Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Batchelor, Louisiana, April 18, 2003
On April 18, 2003 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N36531, was substantially damaged in an accident near Batchelor, Louisiana (Private Airstrip - Batchelor 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 pilot's failure to abort the takeoff with adequate runway available. A contributing factor was the high density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2003 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Batchelor, Louisiana · Private Airstrip - Batchelor · 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
- Registration
- N36531 · no longer on the register · serial 301-0277
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the short field takeoff, the airplane accelerated down the dirt runway and became airborne in ground effect. Passing off the end of the runway, the pilot stated he "could tell that the wheels were [dragging] in the wheat" and thought the airplane could "fly out of it in ground effect." The pilot attempted to dump the chemical load, but pulled the spray handle instead of the emergency hopper dump lever. Subsequently, the right wingtip contacted the ground, the airplane cartwheeled and came to rest inverted. The density altitude was calculated as 1728 feet based on the outside air temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, a dew point of 16 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.91 inches of mercury.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,634 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 13, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,776 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 6, 2003; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340 AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Bachelor LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 2,000 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
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.