ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 295343
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| Date: | Friday 22 August 2003 |
| Time: | 17:25 LT |
| Type: |  Air Tractor AT-502B |
| Owner/operator: | Westerlin And Harrington Flying Ser |
| Registration: | N5007G |
| MSN: | 502B-0417 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1997 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2267 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney PT6A-15 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Westside, Iowa -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Carroll Airport, IA (CIN/KCIN) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a complete loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot reported completing a final agricultural application pass when the engine abruptly lost power. He noted: "There was no place to land, I hit the fuel boost pump and the [aircraft] powered up again for 1 or 2 seconds." This allowed the pilot to clear a farm house and set-up for a forced landing in an alfalfa field. The aircraft subsequently impacted an "up sloping draw ... a terrace and went into a steep gully," according to the pilot. A post-accident examination found no evidence of fuel on-board. Both fuel tanks were empty and there was no sign of fuel on the ground in the vicinity of the aircraft. The pilot reported no malfunctions with the aircraft prior to the loss of engine power. No anomalies associated with a pre-impact failure were observed during the post-accident inspection. The pilot reportedly had a standing request with the fixed base operator that the aircraft be filled to the 3/4 tabs each time it was fueled. He stated that the fuel gauges "have been very undependable this summer," so after each refueling he would enter 162 gallons into the fuel flow meter. Due to his lack of confidence in the fuel gauges, the pilot was using the fuel flow meter to monitor his in-flight fuel status. The pilot stated that he did not visually verify the fuel quantity after refueling prior to the accident flight.
Probable Cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing factors were the unsuitable terrain encountered, and the terrace/embankment.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CHI03LA289
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Oct-2022 07:22 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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