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19980822029999A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-401 · Holly Bluff, MS · August 22, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 22, 1998 · 11:15 local
Place
Holly Bluff, MS
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
OPUG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N10103
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL98LA117
Reported as
Airtrc AT401
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney R1340AN1
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,050 total175 in this make and model300 in the last 90 days
N10103Registration cancelled Sep 7, 2016 · Air Tractor AT-401S/N 401-0709 · Built 1989Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-401Engine modelPratt & Whitney R1340 seriesReciprocating

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.

The pilot reported he had been flying about forty five minutes on this load of fuel, and estimated that he had in excess of one hour of fuel remaining. While on the first swath run climb out from a field, the engine lost power. The pilot also reported that as the engine lost power, black smoke was seen coming from the exhaust. According to the pilot, the only available emergency landing area was straight ahead. During the post-accident examination of the engine assembly, the engine was started, it ran roughly, and produced black smoke. Further examination disclosed that fuel pressure supplied by the engine driven fuel pump was not being maintained in the pressure carburetor. According to a local mechanic assisting in the examination, the loss of fuel pressure in the carburetor is normally associated with a defective needle assembly in the carburetor. According to the operator, the maintenance recordds showed that the engine assembly had accumulated 1150 hours of service since the last overhaul. The recommended time between engine overhauls is 1200 hours. The engine maintenance records also failed to show if the carburetor had been overhauled since the last engine overhaul.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD BEEN FLYING ABOUT FORTY FIVE MINUTES ON THIS LOAD OF FUEL, AND ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD IN EXCESS OF ONE HOUR OF FUEL REMAINING. WHILE ON THE FIRST SWATH RUN CLIMB OUT FROM A FIELD, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT AS THE ENGINE LOST POWER, BLACK SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ONLY AVAILABLE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA WAS STRAIGHT AHEAD. DURING THE POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY, THE ENGINE WAS STARTED, IT RAN ROUGHLY, AND PRODUCED BLACK SMOKE. FURTHER EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THAT FUEL PRESSURE SUPPLIED BY THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP WAS NOT BEING MAINTAINED IN THE PRESSURE CARBURETOR. ACCORDING TO A LOCAL MECHANIC ASSISTING IN THE EXAMINATION, THE LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE IN THE CARBURETOR IS NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH A DEFECTIVE NEEDLE ASSEMBLY IN THE CARBURETOR. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE MAINTENANCE RECORDDS SHOWED THAT THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY HAD ACCUMULATED 1150 HOURS OF SERVICE SINCE THE LAST OVERHAUL. THE RECOMMENDED TIME BETWEEN ENGINE OVERHAULS IS 1200 HOURS. THE ENGINE MAINTENANCE RECORDS ALSO FAILED TO SHOW IF THE CARBURETOR HAD BEEN OVERHAULED SINCE THE LAST ENGINE OVERHAUL.

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 ATL98LA117Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHolly Bluff, MSThe malfunction of the carburetor which resulted in improper fuel flow to the engine.Aug 22, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N10103 · 1

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

Accident 19890825032139ATo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Wabbaseka, ARAircraft settled after liftoff. Collapsed gear hitting a levee. Pilot blames full load and high air temperature.Aug 25, 1989 · Reported as Airtrc AT400 · Substantial damage