Air Tractor INC AT-301 accident near Garfield, Washington, July 6, 2010
On July 6, 2010 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Air Tractor INC AT-301, registered N8878S, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Garfield, Washington. 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 loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2010 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Garfield, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Tractor INC AT-301 · all AT-301s on the register
- Registration
- N8878S · no longer on the register · serial 301-0225
- 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 stated to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he ran out of fuel while spraying crops and initiated a forced landing to a field. The pilot said that he landed hard and the engine separated from the airframe. The airplane’s fuselage and wing were substantially damaged. Despite numerous attempts to contact the pilot, at the time this report was written, the pilot has not responded to the NTSB investigator-in-charge or submitted a completed NTSB pilot/operator 6120.1 form.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 10,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R1340 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: S & E Mader INC
The flight
- Departed from: Garfield WA
- Destination: Garfield WA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KPUW
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.
Other NTSB records under N8878S 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.