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April 21, 2010 · Air Tractor AT-802A · N9197F

Alpine, TX

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
April 21, 2010
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Alpine, TX
Aircraft
Air Tractor AT-802A
Tail Number
N9197F
Operator
Aero Tech
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CEN10LA217

The pilot had finished spraying a field when the "the engine popped and white smoke came out of the exhaust" and the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to land on a road, but the airplane struck a barbed wire fence and the left main gear hit a "bull hole" and sheared off. A preliminary examination and borescope of the engine revealed no anomalies with the filters and chip detectors. The fuel pump was within acceptance test procedure limits. The fuel control unit (FCU) was slightly high on Wf. The FCU base was removed to inspect the drive-bearing. There was a little organic debris in the bellows cavity. No defects or damage to the fuel pump or FCU was found that would have precluded normal operation. The Py line from the governor to the FCU pressure tested satisfactory. The engine ran in a test cell with no anomalies. Engine trim was slightly out of specifications, but acceleration and deceleration were normal. Disassembly of the combustion chamber revealed no anomalies.

NTSB Probable Cause

Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Rough terrain-Contributed to outcome

Full Narrative

On April 21, 2010, approximately 1815 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-802A, N9197F, registered to and operated by Aero Tech, Inc., Clovis, New Mexico, was substantially damaged when its engine lost power and the pilot was forced to make an off-airport landing in a field 20 miles south of Alpine, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aerial application flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 137 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The local flight originated from Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport (E38), Alpine, Texas, approximately 1610. According to the pilot's accident report, he had finished spraying a field and was returning to the airport. The airplane was cruising at 175 mph between 6500 and 6800 feet msl when the "the engine popped and white smoke came out of the exhaust" and the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to land on a road but the airplane struck a barbed wire fence and the left main gear hit a "bull hole" and sheared off. The right flap was torn loose, the left elevator leading edge was crushed, and the spreader was torn off. The pilot told FAA inspectors that he took off with 250 gallons of fuel. He flew for about 2 hours and 20 minutes. He said normal fuel consumption is about 75 gph (gallons per hour). The pilot further stated that the fuel gauge registered 1/4 fuel remaining in the left tank and ¼ to 1/2 fuel remaining in the right tank. The airplane was equipped with a Shadin fuel flow monitoring system that measures fuel flow to the engine and calculates gallons remaining. The pilot said he resets the system when the airplane is refueled. The Shadin fuel flow monitoring system was showing 65 gallons remaining at the accident site. When the airplane was retrieved, the salvage company estimated about 25 gallons of fuel was drained from the wings. A preliminary engine examination was conducted at George's aircraft in Vernon, Texas, on April 27, 2010. The filters, chip detectors, and borescope of the engine revealed no anomalies. On May 11, 2010, the fuel pump and fuel control unit (FCU) were tested at facilities of Pratt &Whitney Canada (P&WC) in Montreal. The fuel pump was within ATP limits. The fuel control unit (FCU) was slightly high on Wf but, according to P&WC, this would not have contributed to the power loss. The FCU base was removed to inspect the drive-bearing. There was a little organic debris in the bellows cavity, but this was not considered unusual. No defects or damage to the fuel pump or FCU was found that would have precluded normal operation. The Py line from the governor to the FCU pressure tested satisfactory. The engine was examined and disassembled at the facilities of P&WC in Bridgeport, West Virginia, on June 21 and 22, 2010. The engine ran in a test cell with no anomalies. Engine trim was slightly out of specifications, but acceleration and deceleration were normal. Disassembly of the combustion chamber revealed no anomalies.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time18:15 CDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftAir Tractor AT-802A
Tail NumberN9197F
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorAero Tech
Operating RulePart 137
Engines1
Engine TypeTurboprop
Engine DetailsPT6A-65AG · Turboprop · 1295
Seats1

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 59 · Second Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind200° @ 18 kt, gusting 24 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point46
Altimeter29.79 inHg
Observation Time23:25
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data