Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Lubbock, Texas, October 21, 1994
On October 21, 1994 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N8523S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lubbock, Texas. 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 FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE WITH THE IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT. A FACTOR WAS PILOT FATIGUE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 1994 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lubbock, Texas · 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
- N8523S · no longer on the register · serial AT-301
- 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 AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT WHILE APPLYING PESTICIDES TO A COTTON FIELD. AFTER THE COLLISION, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING. THE AIRPLANE WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED DURING THE FORCED LANDING. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS TIRED AND HAD DIFFICULTY SEEING THE IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT WHICH 'BLENDED INTO THE WHITE COTTON THAT WAS 90% OPEN.'
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: 10,590 hours in all; 2,454 in this make and model; 312 in the last 90 days; 210 in the last 30 days; 10,483 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 1993; 430 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garrett TPE 331-1 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q24 Levelland TX
- Destination: Q24 TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 pm from LBB, 8 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 N8523S 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.