19990317021439I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Airtrc AT-602 · Eunice, LA · March 17, 1999

Date: March 17, 1999 · 11:00 local
Place: Eunice, LA
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: KGGG
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N5083M
Reported as: Airtrc AT602
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A65AR
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 13,800 total985 in this make and model28 in the last 90 days

N5083MRegistered now · Air Tractor AT-602S/N 602-0406 · Built 1996 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-602 Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

While spreading rice, at approximately 200 feet, engine lost powr, smelled strange odor. Quickly checked electrical system, found no problem. Set up for landing in rice field. Aircraft landed hard breaking tail wheel. Aircraft cut through two levees, breaking left landing gear mount bolts, and bending propeller blades. Spreader broke off, damaging flaps and some lower fuselage skin damage. Inspected aircraft and engine, found compressor frozen, oil leaking out compressor inlet and power turbine free. Found fine metal on chip plugs and in oil filter. Note: 100 hour inspection and hot end inspection and repair performed 14.3 hours earlier. Filters and chip plugs inspected, no metal found. Aircraft repaired and returned to service on 3/22/99. Engine sent to repair facility for inspection and repair. Specific part failure unknown at this time.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE SPREADING RICE, AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET, ENGINE LOST POWR, SMELLED STRANGE ODOR. QUICKLY CHECKED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FOUND NO PROBLEM. SET UP FOR LANDING IN RICE FIELD. AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD BREAKING TAIL WHEEL. AIRCRAFT CUT THROUGH TWO LEVEES, BREAKING LEFT LANDING GEAR MOUNT BOLTS, AND BENDING PROPELLER BLADES. SPREADER BROKE OFF, DAMAGING FLAPS AND SOME LOWER FUSELAGE SKIN DAMAGE. INSPECTED AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE, FOUND COMPRESSOR FROZEN, OIL LEAKING OUT COMPRESSOR INLET AND POWER TURBINE FREE. FOUND FINE METAL ON CHIP PLUGS AND IN OIL FILTER. NOTE: 100 HOUR INSPECTION AND HOT END INSPECTION AND REPAIR PERFORMED 14.3 HOURS EARLIER. FILTERS AND CHIP PLUGS INSPECTED, NO METAL FOUND. AIRCRAFT REPAIRED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE ON 3/22/99. ENGINE SENT TO REPAIR FACILITY FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR. SPECIFIC PART FAILURE UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.