Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Roberts, Idaho, July 17, 1995
On July 17, 1995 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N4326S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Roberts, Idaho. It was a positioning 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO THE SEPARATION OF THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE ROCKER ARM SHAFT FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD, WHICH DISABLED MOVEMENT OF THE EXHAUST VALVE. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 1995 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Roberts, Idaho · 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
- N4326S · registry record · serial 301-0006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, AT 40 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND BEGAN BACKFIRING. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A BARLEY FIELD WITH 3-FOOT-TALL CROPS, AND THE AIRPLANE CARTWHEELED. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE EXHAUST VALVE ROCKER ARM HOUSING ON THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER SEPARATED, DISABLING THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,554 hours in all; 3,301 in this make and model; 220 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 8,433 as pilot in command; 427 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,174 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1995; 202 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
- Destination: U56 Rigby ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 pm from IDA, 12 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 N4326S 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 SEA95LA154.