Air Tractor AT301 accident near Santa Rosa, Texas, July 21, 1987
On July 21, 1987 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT301, registered N4407S, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Rosa, Texas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 1987 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Rosa, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT301
- Registration
- N4407S · no longer on the register · serial 301-0067
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS DUSTING A SUGAR CANE FIELD WHICH BORDERED A DIRT ROAD WITH PARALLEL ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION LINES. THE PILOT HAD BEEN TERMINATING HIS SWATH RUNS BY FLYING UNDERNEATH THE ELECTRICAL WIRES AT THE EDGE OF THE FIELD. TO PREVENT BECOMING A HAZARD TO AN AUTOMOBILE ON THE ROAD, HE PLANNED TO TERMINATE THE SWATH RUN ON WHICH THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED BY PULLING UP AND FLYING OVER THE WIRES. HE DELAYED IN INITIATING THE PULL-UP AND AS A RESULT, IMPACTED THE UPPER (STATIC) WIRE OF THE POWER LINE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND BEYOND THE ROADWAY IN ANOTHER SUGAR CANE FIELD.
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: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,200 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 8,350 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,332 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 23, 1987; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R1340-AMI (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Santa Rosa TX at 12:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:46 pm from HRL, 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.
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.