Air Tractor AT-402 accident near Taft, Texas, July 21, 1991
On July 21, 1991 at about 8:54 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-402, registered N4523L, suffered minor damage in an accident near Taft, Texas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER TERRAIN CLEARANCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 1991 · about 8:54 pm local time
- Place
- Taft, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-402
- Registration
- N4523L · registry record · serial 0757
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON THE FOURTH AERIAL APPLICATION PASS THE AIRPLANE PASSED UNDER POWER LINES AND INITIATED A CLIMB OVER A ROAD EMBANKMENT. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE EMBANKMENT AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST 296 FEET FROM INITIAL IMPACT.
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: 7,861 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days; 250 in the last 30 days; 6,427 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 18, 1991; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-27 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hunts Dusting Service, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 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.
Other NTSB records under N4523L 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.