Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Vernon, Texas, August 17, 1997
On August 17, 1997 at about 1:30 am local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N2316X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vernon, 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
failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from an irrigation pipe. Factors relating to the accident were: the poor light condition at dusk, the object (vertical piece of irragation pipe), loss of engine power from foreign object damage, and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 1997 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Vernon, 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
- N2316X · registry record · serial 301-0380
- 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 flying a swath run over a cotton field at dusk, when his airplane's engine 'lost most of its power.' He stated that he tried to land straight ahead, but 'had to pop-up over a road into the next field.' The next field was terraced. During the landing, the airplane impacted a terrace, which 'flipped the airplane over on its back.' The farmer, whose field was being sprayed, reported to the pilot that 'there was a vertical piece of irrigation pipe in the field that was bent.' The repair facility, where the engine was sent, reported that the number 5 cylinder had received damage when it was 'apparently struck or hit by something.'
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
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FO5 at 1:20 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 180° at 1 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°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 N2316X 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.