Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Griffithville, Arkansas, May 18, 1996
On May 18, 1996 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N4424S, was destroyed in an accident near Griffithville, Arkansas. 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 oil (leak) for an undetermined reason, which resulted in oil starvation and a loss of engine power; and failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed during the emergency descent/landing phase, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 1996 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Griffithville, Arkansas · 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
- N4424S · no longer on the register · serial 301-0084
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a personal interview, conducted by an FAA inspector, the pilot reported that the engine oil pressure began to fluctuate. Subsequently, 'oil pressure was lost' and the engine lost power. The pilot added that during a descending left turn towards an open field, 'the airspeed slowed.' An uncontrolled descent ensued, and the airplane rolled to the left, then to the right, prior to ground impact. Physical evidence at the accident site confirmed that the airplane impacted the ground nose low in a right bank. Oil was found along the lower wing surfaces, and covering the underside of the airframe towards the empennage and tail. The source of the oil leak could not be determined during the post-accident examination of the engine.
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: 250 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1996; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Jasmine AR at 9:35 pm
- Destination: AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.