Air Tractor 301 accident near Jefferson, Oklahoma, April 7, 1989
On April 7, 1989 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor 301, registered N4369S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jefferson, Oklahoma. 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
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, DUE TO A CRACKED NUMBER 4 CYLINDER. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE TERRACE (DIRT BANK) IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 1989 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jefferson, Oklahoma
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor 301
- Registration
- N4369S · no longer on the register · serial 301-0049
- 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 AG AIRPLANE WAS ON A SPRAYING FLIGHT, WHEN THE NUMBER FOUR CYLINDER CRACKED & THE ENGINE LOST POWER. DURING A SUBSEQUENT EMERGENCY LANDING, THE AIRPLANE ROLLED ABOUT 450 FT, HIT A TERRACE & NOSED OVER.
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: 10,703 hours in all; 4,700 in this make and model; 621 in the last 90 days; 220 in the last 30 days; 10,030 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 1989; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OK72 Pond Creek OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 pm from PNC, 35 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 N4369S 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.