Air Tractor AT301 accident near Plain Dealing, Louisiana, August 22, 1984
On August 22, 1984 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT301, registered N2356M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Plain Dealing, Louisiana. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 1984 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Plain Dealing, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT301
- Registration
- N2356M · registry record · serial 301-0396
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE ACFT MADE A DESCENDING LOW LEVEL TURN AT THE END OF A SPRAY RUN, NOSED OVER AND DOVE INTO THE SOYBEAN FLD BEING SPRAYED. THE PLT WAS NOT WEARING A SHOULDER HARNESS OR HELMET WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. TOXICOLOGY RESULTS REVEALED A LOW LEVEL OF CHOLINESTERASE IN THE PLTS BLOOD. THE CHEMICAL BEING SPRAYED WAS METHYL PARATHION WHICH IS A CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITOR.
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: 5,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 235 in the last 90 days; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,281 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 30, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: AG Air INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:30 pm
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 N2356M 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 FTW84LA363.