On August 26, 1982, an Air Tractor AT-301 (registration N4342S) operated by Holcomb Flying Service was involved in an aviation accident near Winnesboro, LA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The engine failure during the initial phase of the agricultural operation, which led to a forced landing and subsequent fire due to fuel leakage. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An agricultural airplane suffered an in-flight engine failure while circling for a crop dusting run. The pilot executed a forced landing, but the aircraft subsequently caught fire and was completely destroyed.
What happened
The pilot was operating an agricultural aircraft when the engine failed while he was circling the field to align for his initial swath run. During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane nosed over upon impact with the ground. The pilot exited the aircraft immediately after the stop without turning off any of the electrical switches or fuel controls.
After exiting the plane, the pilot noted that fuel was leaking from the airframe. He left the scene to seek medical attention at a hospital. Upon his return to the site later, he discovered that the leaking fuel had ignited, causing the aircraft to catch fire and burn completely.
Probable cause
The engine failure during the initial phase of the agricultural operation, which led to a forced landing and subsequent fire due to fuel leakage.
An X-AIR HAWK ultralight crashed in Chonburi, Thailand, killing the pilot and injuring a passenger. The accident was caused by deteriorated wing fabric and…
A Challenger II Special ultralight aircraft (U-B23) landed off-runway at Pai Airport, Mae Hong Son, on September 17, 2024, due to a gust of wind. No injuries…
The Polish aviation safety authority is investigating a serious incident involving an AT-3R100 aircraft that occurred on September 2, 2024. The investigation…
A SZD-48-3 glider suffered damage when its left wing struck a ground obstacle during a low final approach at EPWK on June 20, 2025. The pilot was uninjured.
A 39-year-old skydiver died after a hard landing near Leszno on May 1, 2026. The PKBWL preliminary report indicates the fatal impact resulted from a late,…
A student pilot crashed an SZD-50-3 Puchacz glider into the airfield fence during a solo training flight on June 6, 2026. The pilot was uninjured, but the…