ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 287796
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | 17-APR-2012 |
| Time: | 15:15 LT |
| Type: |  Rockwell S-2R Thrush Commander |
| Owner/operator: | Meines Interprises LLC |
| Registration: | N4971X |
| MSN: | 5016R |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Palouse, Washington -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Palouse, WA |
| Palouse, WA | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot landed after completing an aerial application to a field, and planned to refuel the airplane while the application tank was reloaded. He said that among other distractions, he was having problems with his global positioning system, and began discussing it with another pilot. The pilot reported that after takeoff, he realized that he did not have the ground crew refuel the airplane. He said that the destination field was close, so he decided to continue rather than return and refuel the airplane. He indicated that the fuel gauges indicated 1/4 capacity at takeoff and were bouncing around 1/8 capacity after he completed two passes. The engine subsequently lost power due to fuel exhaustion, and the pilot landed in a flat field, which was wet and soft. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over, substantially damaging the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot's inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distraction and subsequent failure to have the airplane refueled.
Sources:
NTSB WPR12CA172
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Oct-2022 14:30 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
