Air Tractor AT-301 accident near San Angelo, Texas, November 12, 2003
On November 12, 2003 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N1361E, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Angelo, Texas (Private Airstrip 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 improper weather evaluation and the wrong runway selection. A contributing factor was the tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 2003 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- San Angelo, Texas · Private Airstrip · 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
- N1361E · no longer on the register · serial 301-0205
- 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 7,169-hour pilot reported that while attempting a downwind takeoff from a 2,880 feet gravel airstrip, the airplane climbed to approximately 30 feet before settling back to the ground. The pilot dumped the liquid chemical load, but the left wing struck a fence before impacting the ground. The pilot stated that he had been taking off to the south all day, but "believes the wind shifted due to an approaching weather front."
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 7,169 hours in all; 3,383 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 7,169 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 2, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,314.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 5, 2003; 25.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: San Angelo TX at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from SJT, 15 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 N1361E 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.