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19970823023389A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · WSK M-18A · Coopersville, MI · August 23, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 23, 1997 · 10:45 local
Place
Coopersville, MI
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N178RA
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI97LA267
Reported as
WSK M18A
Reported engine
WSK ASZ62IRM18
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,644 total420 in this make and model90 in the last 90 days
N178RARegistration cancelled Aug 13, 2013 · WSK PZL Mielec M-18AS/N 1Z015-10 · Built 1985Airframe modelWSK PZL Mielec M-18AEngine modelPezetel ASZ-621R-M18Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft involved in areaial application, engine lost fuel pressure, crashed into a field. (.4)following an agricultural flight, the pilot noticed that the right fuel tank was reading under 1/8 full and the left fuel tank was 1/4 full. The pilot opened the overflow valve and slipped the airplane to balance the fuel levels. The pilot did this maneuver twice and the fuel gauge indicated 1/8 full in both tanks. The pilot said that the fuel pressure was then lost and a total power loss occurred. He tried the regain fuel pressure by using the wobble pump but could not restart the engine. The airplane was moved and disassembled by the owner before the fuel tanks could be inspected. The owner said that the airplane manufacturer said fuel feed problems are caused by an air leak in the cover plates on the fuel tanks. The pilot did not dump his chemical load following the loss of engine power. (-23) on auguse 23, 1997, at 1030 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Wsk pzl mielec M-18A, N178RA, registered to hatfield spraying services, nic., of nunica, Michigan, was substantially damaged following a total loss of engine po wer and subsequent forced landing in a farmer's field. The commercial pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR part 137 aerial application flight was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight departed nunica, michagan, at 1015 EDT.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN AREAIAL APPLICATION, ENGINE LOST FUEL PRESSURE, CRASHED INTO A FIELD. (.4)FOLLOWING AN AGRICULTURAL FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS READING UNDER 1/8 FULL AND THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS 1/4 FULL. THE PILOT OPENED THE OVERFLOW VALVE AND SLIPPED THE AIRPLANE TO BALANCE THE FUEL LEVELS. THE PILOT DID THIS MANEUVER TWICE AND THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED 1/8 FULL IN BOTH TANKS. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE WAS THEN LOST AND A TOTAL POWER LOSS OCCURRED. HE TRIED THE REGAIN FUEL PRESSURE BY USING THE WOBBLE PUMP BUT COULD NOT RESTART THE ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE WAS MOVED AND DISASSEMBLED BY THE OWNER BEFORE THE FUEL TANKS COULD BE INSPECTED. THE OWNER SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER SAID FUEL FEED PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY AN AIR LEAK IN THE COVER PLATES ON THE FUEL TANKS. THE PILOT DID NOT DUMP HIS CHEMICAL LOAD FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. (-23) ON AUGUSE 23, 1997, AT 1030 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), A WSK PZL MIELEC M-18A, N178RA, REGISTERED TO HATFIELD SPRAYING SERVICES, NIC., OF NUNICA, MICHIGAN, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE PO WER AND SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING IN A FARMER'S FIELD. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE 14 CFR PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED NUNICA, MICHAGAN, AT 1015 EDT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI97LA267Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCoopersville, MIthe pilot inadequate fuel system management which led to a fuel starvation.Aug 23, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N178RA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20000520037029ATwin Lake, MI(-23) The aircraft was spraying for gypsy moths, an eye witness stated the engine developed mechanical problems and crashed in the woods. An inspection of the propeller confirmed the enigne was not running. A post impact fire occurred. The pilot was fatally…May 20, 2000 · No damage