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August 15, 2023 · Air Tractor AT-502 · N9082C

Great Bend, ND

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
August 15, 2023
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Great Bend, ND
Aircraft
Air Tractor AT-502 (1992)
Tail Number
N9082C
Operator
Dakota Air Spray
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CEN23LA377

The pilot reported that he had completed an aerial application with the airplane and was in a turn when the engine lost power. The pilot said he advanced the power lever to full but there was no engine response. The pilot attempted a forced landing on a nearby county road. The airplane landed hard on the road surface, bounced back in the air and floated some distance before settling back on the road. The airplane then veered off the road, went through a ditch, and came to rest in an adjacent farm field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right tubular clusters where the main landing gear attach. The pilot later reported that, after reviewing speed and altitude data from one of the airplane’s track logs, his recollection of the event did not match what the data showed. He stated that, “The log shows no loss of airspeed that would indicate a loss of power before the initial impact with the ground.” He went on to state that he was no longer confident that his original recollection that there was a power loss was accurate and that this incident was likely caused by pilot error. An examination of the airplane’s fuel control unit (FCU) and fuel pump showed black material in the vicinity of the Py orifice inlet. The manufacturer identified the material as soft debris similar to fluorocarbon and most likely from the packing (O-ring) used on the P3 air inlet fitting. The debris’ size and location did not completely obstruct the inlet and would have allowed for air passage into the FCU, hence not hindering its operability. A bench test of the fuel control unit and fuel pump showed the unit and pump performed normally. No other preaccident failures or malfunctions with the airplane were found that would have precluded normal operations.

NTSB Probable Cause

Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained

Full Narrative

On August 15, 2023, about 1045 central daylight time, an Air Tractor Inc AT-502, N9082C, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Great Bend, North Dakota. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural flight. The pilot reported that he had completed an aerial application with the airplane and was in a turn when the engine lost power. The pilot said he advanced the power lever to full but there was no engine response. The pilot attempted a forced landing on a nearby county road. The airplane landed hard on the road surface, bounced back in the air and floated some distance before settling back on the road. The airplane then veered off the road, went through a ditch, and came to rest in an adjacent farm field. The pilot recalled that he heard the engine noise tone and volume change as the airplane slowed. He also remembered seeing the torque needle reducing to near 500 and falling. He said he didn’t see if it eventually reached zero, but it did not increase as he advanced the power lever. At that point his focus was getting the airplane on the ground safely. In a subsequent statement, the pilot reported that after reviewing speed and altitude data from one of the airplane’s track logs, his recollection of the event didn’t match what the data showed. He stated that, “The log shows no loss of airspeed that would indicate a loss of power before the initial impact with the ground.” He went on to state that he was no longer confident that his original recollection that there was a power loss was accurate. “With this new information it would appear to me that this incident was likely caused by pilot error. It has become evident to me that my memory of the event in that moment are patchy, scrambled, and likely inaccurate.” The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, engine, and the main landing gear. Both fuel tank gauges showed half full of fuel. A postaccident examination of the airplane showed substantial damage to the left and right tubular clusters where the main landing gear attach. The airplane’s fuel control unit (FCU) and fuel pump were retained for further examination. An examination of the FCU showed black material in the vicinity of the Py orifice inlet. The manufacturer identified the material as soft debris similar to fluorocarbon and most likely from the packing (O-ring) used on the P3 air inlet fitting. Per the manufacturer, the debris’ size and location did not completely obstruct the inlet and would have allowed for air passage into the FCU, hence not hindering its operability. A bench test of the fuel control unit and fuel pump showed the unit and pump performed normally. No other preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions were found with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time10:45 CDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftAir Tractor AT-502
Tail NumberN9082C
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorDakota Air Spray
Operating RulePart 137
Engines1
Engine TypeTurboprop
Engine DetailsP&W · PT6A-34AG · Turboprop · 750
Seats1

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 39 · Second Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind240° @ 12 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point63 F
Altimeter30.05 inHg
Observation Time10:35
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data