Air Tractor AT-401 accident near Sumner, Mississippi, September 16, 1991
On September 16, 1991 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-401, registered N1004W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sumner, Mississippi. 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
FAILURE OF THE NO. 1 CYLINDER ASSEMBLY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 1991 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sumner, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-401
- Registration
- N1004W · no longer on the register · serial 0687
- 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 WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 500 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND QUIT. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS CONDUCTED TO A DIRT ROAD IN A COTTON FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH AN ON GROUND OBJECT (TALL COTTON) AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY REVEALED THE NO. 1 CYLINDER HAD SPLIT FROM THE EXHAUST PORT TO THE FRONT SPARK PLUG HOLE.
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
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 850 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 7,425 as pilot in command; 135 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flautt Flying Sevice, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Webb MS at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:49 pm from GWO, 35 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 N1004W 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.