Air Tractor AT- 401 accident near Fellsmere, Florida, April 8, 2003
On April 8, 2003 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT- 401, registered N4549N, was destroyed in an accident near Fellsmere, Florida. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The poor in-flight planning by the pilot-in-command for his overhsooting the pull-up following a spray pass resulting in the in-flight collision with trees then terrain. Contributing to the accident was sunglare that the pilot encountered during the spray pass.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2003 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Fellsmere, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT- 401
- Registration
- N4549N · no longer on the register · serial 401-0799
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he doesn't remember the accident, but he did report that during a spray run, he overshot the end of the field due to sun in his eyes. He also reported there was no mechanical failure or malfunction. According to the president of the Indian River Flying Service, Inc., the pilot was just starting to pull-up after completing a spray pass when the airplane collided with a tree then the ground. According to an officer with the Indian River County Sheriff Department, the airplane collided with a tree located in an open area, then impacted the ground. A debris path was scattered over a 300 to 350 yard area. The wreckage comprised of two large pieces, and a chemical odor was noted at the accident site.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 4,100 in this make and model; 275 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 18,000 as pilot in command; 50 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 8, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2002; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X52 Vero Beach FL at 11:05 pm
- Destination: X52
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 140° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KVRB
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 N4549N 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.