Air Tractor INC AT 301 accident near Basin City, Washington, October 27, 2014
On October 27, 2014 at about 4:45 pm local time, a 1979 Air Tractor INC AT 301, registered N8878S, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Basin City, Washington (Connell City airport). 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
Maintenance personnel’s and the airplane owner’s failure to inspect the engine for cracks in the cylinders as required by an airworthiness directive, which resulted in the loss of engine power during low-altitude maneuvering flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 2014 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Basin City, Washington · Connell City · 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, built 1979 · 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 commercial pilot was conducting an agricultural application flight. The pilot reported that, when he was maneuvering the airplane about 30 to 50 ft above ground level , the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot conducted an emergency landing to a field, during which the airplane collided with an irrigation system. The postaccident examination of the engine revealed that one of the cylinder heads had a crack in the dome between the forward and aft spark plug holes. The fracture surfaces were consistent with fatigue that had originated from multiple origins at the exterior of the cylinder head. The Federal Aviation Administration had previously issued an airworthiness directive (AD) to address cylinder head cracking on the accident model engine. The AD required periodic visual inspections for cracks in the cylinder heads at specified intervals time in service (100 hours for the accident airplane) and fluorescent penetration inspections at cylinder overhaul. Further, the AD instructed maintenance personnel to focus the inspections on the area where the accident cylinder was cracked. According to the engine maintenance logbooks, the AD was last complied with about 225 hours before the accident, over twice the required interval. The last inspection before this inspection occurred about 180 hours previously, indicating that neither maintenance personnel nor the owner were regularly complying with the AD. According to the stamps on the cylinder, the last fluorescent penetration inspection was performed 10 years before the accident.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Owner/builder
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Maintenance personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 820 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 780 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,442 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 2014; 224 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,400 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340-S3H1-G (piston); 1,404 hours total
- Operator: B & R Aerial Crop Care INC
The flight
- Departed from: WA14 Connell WA at 4:25 pm
- Destination: WA14 Connell WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KPSC, 20 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.
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.