Air Tractor AT-401 accident near Altha, Florida, July 8, 1997
On July 8, 1997 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-401, registered N1509C, was destroyed in an accident near Altha, Florida (Farm Air Service airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's impairment of judgment and performance due to alcohol which led to his failure to maintain control of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1997 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Altha, Florida · Farm Air Service · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor AT-401
- Registration
- N1509C · registry record · serial 401-0828
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was taking off on a runway that was part asphalt and part grass. The takeoff roll was started on the asphalt, and when the airplane reached the grass part of the runway, the pilot said he attempted to 'dump' the chemicals about 100 feet from the end of the runway, because the airplane would not come off the ground. The pilot was interviewed at his home by the Sheriff, and said; '...upon taking off, the plane would just not get up...he flew the plane earlier without a problem...when he dumped the load of chemicals on the runway, the plane went up, hit the top of a power pole with a wing and then went down into small pines....' The FAA inspector's reported stated that pilot said 'he had problems with aircraft performance on climbout.' Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any discrepancies. Several witnesses ran to the crash to aid the pilot, and they stated that when they reach the pilot they saw that he 'staggered and smelled of alcohol.' The witnesses said they did not see him consume anything before he got into a car 'Bronco' and leave the scene. A test taken in the hospital about 2 hours after the accident showed an ethanol level of 143 mg/dl in the pilot's blood.
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: 9,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 8,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 22FL at 9:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 1,900 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from PFN, 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 N1509C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA97LA208.