Air Tractor AT-400A accident near Church Point, Louisiana, June 11, 1997
On June 11, 1997 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-400A, registered N36538, was substantially damaged in an accident near Church Point, Louisiana (Richards Airstrip airport). 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 improperly performed short field takeoff procedures.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 1997 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Church Point, Louisiana · Richards Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-400A
- Registration
- N36538 · no longer on the register · serial 400-0280
- 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 pilot reported that he was departing to the north using full power with 2,230 pounds of fertilizer on board. He further reported that: 'I started my takeoff roll with 10 degrees [of] flaps and increased [them] to 30 degrees further down the strip. As I got to the end of the strip I had to pull the plane off to clear a large levee, after which it settled back down to the ground.' The pilot stated that 'as the end of the runway came closer, I felt like I was over gross.' The FAA Inspectors reported that they were unable to determine the actual weight of the airplane at the time of its takeoff roll. The airplane had a different model engine on it then when it left the factory; no paperwork was located in the airplane for the modification nor the new weight limitations. An Air Tractor manufacturer's representative reported that a normal takeoff in an AT-400A is performed with the flaps in the up position. The representative further stated that 'takeoffs from short strips with heavy loads should be performed with the flaps set at 10 degrees.' The representative reported that 'no other takeoff configuration for the flaps is authorized in the airplane's operating procedures.'
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: 10,151 hours in all; 2,701 in this make and model; 367 in the last 90 days; 272 in the last 30 days; 10,101 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1997
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE LA at 8:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 1,150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°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.
Other NTSB records under N36538 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.