# Accident 19970413005849A: Wsk M18A, Sinton, TX, April 13, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 13, 1997, 16:00 local time
- Place: Sinton, TX
- Airport: San Patricio County Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: PENG
- Location: 28.0293° N, 97.5010° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.0293&lon=-97.5010&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6872, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6872-2015-05-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: WSK PZL Mielec M-18A (registry code 9810103, https://openairdocs.org/model/wsk-pzl-mielec-m-18a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pezetel ASZ-621R-M18 (registry code 49800, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pezetel-asz-621r-m18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: WSK M18A
- Reported engine: WSK ASZ621RM18
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 8,800 total, 530 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA159) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970413005849A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT PRACTICING AERIAL APPLICATION, ENGINE QUIT AND IT CRASH LANDED IN A FIELD. (.4)DURING A FORCED LANDING, FOLLOWING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED INVERTED IN THE SOFT FIELD.  THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS PRACTICING WITH A NEWLY INSTALLED GPS UNIT PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE SPRAYING SEASON. THE MECHANIC, WHO REPAIRED THE AIRPLANE FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED; HOWEVER, THE REASON FOR THE PUMP FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE PUMP WAS REPLACED AND THE ENGINE OPERATED AT FULL POWER WITHOUT DISCREPANCIES.                               (-23) ON APRIL 13, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 CDT, A PZL-MIELEC DROMADER MODEL M-18 WITH A REGISTRATION NO. OF N6872, WHICH WAS OWNED BY AMERICAN & EUROPEAN AIRCRAFT SALES AND WAS BEING OPERATED BY ASAP AIRSPRAY UNDER TITLE 14 CFR 137, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING INTO A FARM FIELD, FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 6 MILED NORTHEAST OF STINTON, TEXAS. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO VERIFY THE PERFORMANCE OF A RECENTLY INSTALLED GPS. THE PILOT, MR. MIROSLAV VUCETIC                                                                  , WITH AN ATP CERTIFICATE NO. 35784112 WAS FLYING UNDER TITLE 14 CFR 91 RULES AND UNDER VFR CONDITIONS WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN POSTED. MR. VUCETIC WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE ACCIDENT AND SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE SAN PATRICIO COUNTY AIRPORT, NEAR SINTON, TEXAS APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE SCENE INVESTIGATION DID NOT PRESENT ANY OBVIOUS REASONS FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE. THE WRECKAGE WAS RELEASED TO THE OWNER WITH PROVISIONS TO RELAY ANY INFORMATION AS TO THE SOURCE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE BACK TO THE SAT-FSDO. MR. VUCETIC DID FIND THAT THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED WHICH LEAD TO FUEL STARVATION CONDITION AND POWER LOSS. THE PUMP WAS REPLACED WITH A SERVICEABLE UNIT, THE ENGINE WAS CHECKED FOR PERFOMANCE AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. NO OTHER ACTION IS PLANNED AND THIS MATTER IS CONSIDERED TO BE CLOSED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW97LA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA159), Apr 13, 1997: Pzl-Mielec M-18A (N6872), Sinton, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: Fuel starvation resulting from the failure of the engine driven fuel pump due to an undetermined reason. A factor was the soft terrain.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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