Air Tractor AT-301 accident near Firebaugh, California, July 29, 2009
On July 29, 2009 at about 11:15 am local time, a Air Tractor AT-301, registered N23189, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Firebaugh, California. 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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion that was due to the failure of company ground personnel to refuel the airplane. Contributing to the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 2009 · about 11:15 am local time
- Place
- Firebaugh, California · 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
- N23189 · no longer on the register · serial 301-0366
- 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 single-engine airplane experienced a total loss of engine power five minutes after takeoff during an aerial application flight. The pilot attempted a forced landing to an alfalfa field he was preparing to spray, but after touching down, the airplane impacted an angle ditch and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its empennage. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety inspector examined the airplane on the morning of the accident and reported finding that both wing tanks were void of any fuel, and there was no evidence of any leakage. When the inspector revealed this to the pilot, the pilot stated that company personnel had fueled the airplane about 10 minutes prior to the accident. The pilot added that company policy is for the ground crew to fuel after each load, normally with 30 gallons of fuel to each wing tank while loading the plane with pesticide. The pilot supplied a company fuel log that indicated the airplane was fueled 4 times on the day of the accident. A subsequent examination and engine run performed by an airframe and power plant mechanic revealed no anomalies with the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Ground crew
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 35,000 hours in all; 25,000 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 35,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 14, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,478 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 2009; 194 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Dos Palos CA at 11:10 am
- Destination: Dos Palos CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from MAE, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.