Air Tractor AT-400A accident near Black Oak, Arkansas, June 13, 1997
On June 13, 1997 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-400A, registered N3161J, was destroyed in an accident near Black Oak, Arkansas. 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 loss of engine power due to compressor turbine blade failure. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 1997 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Black Oak, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-400A
- Registration
- N3161J · registry record · serial 400A-0489
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, the agricultural airplane lost power. During the forced landing, the airplane was destroyed. Wreckage examination revealed that the propeller blades were in the flat pitch range, bent straight rearward. The blades did not have a twist set nor was there leading edge damage corresponding to powered rotation at impact. Engine examination revealed that all of the blades of the compressor turbine disc were damaged or fragmented. Two of the 58 blades were found fractured at the root and several blade tips showed thermal distress. The compressor disc shroud segment had ballistic indentations corresponding to the fragmented compressor blades. Both power turbine and compressor turbine shroud segments did not show circumferential machining. The fuel filter from the high pressure fuel pump had black residues embedded throughout the filter element. All 58 blades on the compressor turbine disc had been replaced in 1991. No reference was found as to whether or not the replacement blades were new or used parts. The last recorded hot section was in December, 1994, at 7,063.2 hours TSOH. The TSOH at the time of the accident was 7,632.5 hours.
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: 5,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,743 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 12, 1997; 244 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Earle AR at 8:58 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from JBR
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.