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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

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May 17, 1982 · Cessna 188 · N5522S

West Point, VA

Overview

Report Status
Preliminary report
Event Type
Accident
Date
May 17, 1982
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
West Point, VA
Aircraft
Cessna 188
Tail Number
N5522S
Operator
Old Dominion Fertilizer
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
NTSB Number
ATL82FID08

The pilot took off with a 50 gal load of water to calibrate the spray system. He stated that during a swath run, he heard a loud noise or whirring sound and initially thought there was a spray pump propeller failure. Immediately, he pulled up, started a left turn to land, and began dumping the load. At the same time, he realized that he had lost power. The pilot was unable to reach the runway. Just prior to touchdown in a cut-over area, the left wing struck a stump and the plane crashed. The engine separated from the aircraft and came to rest partially submerged in a drainage ditch. The carburetor had separated and the throttle control had failed in tension. The mixture control push-pull wire was not attached to the carburetor. An examination of the mixture control wire attach end revealed no signs of tensile loading or scratches on the wire; the attaching hardware could not be found.

Full Narrative

THE PILOT TOOK OFF WITH A 50 GAL LOAD OF WATER TO CALIBRATE THE SPRAY SYSTEM. HE STATED THAT DURING A SWATH RUN, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE OR WHIRRING SOUND AND INITIALLY THOUGHT THERE WAS A SPRAY PUMP PROPELLER FAILURE. IMMEDIATELY, HE PULLED UP, STARTED A LEFT TURN TO LAND, AND BEGAN DUMPING THE LOAD. AT THE SAME TIME, HE REALIZED THAT HE HAD LOST POWER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE RUNWAY. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN IN A CUT-OVER AREA, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A STUMP AND THE PLANE CRASHED. THE ENGINE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND CAME TO REST PARTIALLY SUBMERGED IN A DRAINAGE DITCH. THE CARBURETOR HAD SEPARATED AND THE THROTTLE CONTROL HAD FAILED IN TENSION. THE MIXTURE CONTROL PUSH-PULL WIRE WAS NOT ATTACHED TO THE CARBURETOR. AN EXAMINATION OF THE MIXTURE CONTROL WIRE ATTACH END REVEALED NO SIGNS OF TENSILE LOADING OR SCRATCHES ON THE WIRE; THE ATTACHING HARDWARE COULD NOT BE FOUND.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time13:45 EDT
Nearest AirportWest Point Virginia (0nm N)
Runway9
Runway Length3700 ft
Runway Width0
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 188
Tail NumberN5522S
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageDestroyed
OperatorOld Dominion Fertilizer
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsContinental · O-470-R · Reciprocating · 230
Seats1

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 46 · Second Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind270° @ 10 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point18 C / 0 C
Altimeter0

Appendix: Source Data