Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Roseau, Minnesota, April 15, 1989
On April 15, 1989 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N23702, was substantially damaged in an accident near Roseau, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
FUEL STARVATION DUE TO FUEL ICE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 1989 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Roseau, Minnesota · 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
- N23702 · no longer on the register · serial 301-0419
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT SAID THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AND REACHING AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 500 FT AGL, THE ENGINE QUIT. HE SAID HE WAS ABLE TO GET SEVERAL SHORT BURSTS OF POWER BY OPERATING THE HAND FUEL PUMP, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SUSTAIN ENGINE POWER. AN EMERGENCY LDG WAS ATTEMPTED IN A SWAMP AREA WHICH RESULTED IN THE ACFT NOSING OVER. THE PLT FELT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF ICE IN THE FUEL LINES DUE TO THE EXISTING SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURE. THE PLANE WAS BEING FLOWN TO ANOTHER APT FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION.
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: 26,671 hours in all; 1,250 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,290 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1988; 150 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ROX Roseau MN at 2:55 pm
- Destination: TRF Thief River Fls MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°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 N23702 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.