Air Tractor AT-301A accident near Shelby, Mississippi, August 19, 1988
On August 19, 1988 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301A, registered N73089, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shelby, Mississippi. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1988 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Shelby, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-301A
- Registration
- N73089 · no longer on the register · serial 301-0634
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLT DURING THE GROUND ROLL TO TAKEOFF, THE FORWARDMOST OF TWO MAIN GEAR CLAMP BLOCK BOLTS OF THE RT MAIN LANDING GEAR FAILED. THE GEAR TRAILED AFT. THE INBOARD MAIN GEAR LARGE BOLT FAILED. THE ACFT TRAVELLED OFF THE RWY INTO A SOY BEAN FIELD AND NOSED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE BOLTS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-EXISTING FAILURE. ACCORDING TO THE ACFT MAINTENANCE MANUAL BOTH THE FAILED BOLTS SHOULD BE REPLACED AT A MAXIMUM OF 600 HRS & A MINIMUM OF 300 HRS, DEPENDING ON THE GENERAL LANDING FIELD CONDITIONS. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR OF THE ACFT, BOTH BOLTS HAD ACCUMULATED APRX 670 HRS SINCE REPLACEMENT.
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: 5,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,000 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from GWO, 41 miles away
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 N73089 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.