What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 6, 1999, at 0700 central daylight time, a rockwell international S-2R agricultural airplane, N4919X, was destroyed by a postaccident fire following an aborted takeoff from a private airstrip near Lookeba, Oklahoma. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. The airline transport rated pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 137 aerial application flight, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll the engine began to "pop, snap and surge." The cockpit filled with smoke and the pilot aborted the takeoff. Subsequently, the airplane departed the end of the runway and rolled into a ditch. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest in a near vertical attitude. The pilot exited the airplane and observed "flames emitting from the front section of the engine, near the carburetor." The airplane was destroyed by the postaccident fire. (.4)the airplane's engine lost power during the takeoff roll. According to the pilot, during the 'run-up before takeoff the engine spit, backfired, and then cleared up.' He initiated the takeoff roll and 'everything was fine for a few seconds,' and then 'about half way down the runway the engine coughed, spit, and backfired again.' Smoke was coming from the engine compartment and entering the cockpit, and subsequently, he aborted the takeoff. The airplane overran the runway and came to rest in a ditch. The pilot/operator removed and examined the engine oil sump from the pratt and whitney R-1340-AN1 engine. He observed 'numerous pieces and shavings' of ferrous metal. He stated that the pieces resembled cylinder parts. No further examination of the engine was conducted. (-23)about 0700 am Monday, September 6, 1999, the pilot of a thrush S2R, N4919X, started to take off from Sickles field near Lookeba, Oklahoma, when he heard the engine backfire and the cockpit filled with smoke. The pilot aborted the take off and was attempting to stop the aircraft. The aircraft rolled over a ditch at the end of the short runway and stopped with the nos e of the aircraft down. The pilot was able to get away from the aircraft without injury. The aircraft was destroyed by fire. The pilot thinks the engine induction impeller failed and caused the engine to backfire. He thinks the fire was due to fuel being supplied to the engine through the carburetor because of the nose down attitude to the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1999, AT 0700 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL S-2R AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE, N4919X, WAS DESTROYED BY A POSTACCIDENT FIRE FOLLOWING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF FROM A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR LOOKEBA, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE ENGINE BEGAN TO "POP, SNAP AND SURGE." THE COCKPIT FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND ROLLED INTO A DITCH. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRPLANE AND OBSERVED "FLAMES EMITTING FROM THE FRONT SECTION OF THE ENGINE, NEAR THE CARBURETOR." THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY THE POSTACCIDENT FIRE. (.4)THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST POWER DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING THE 'RUN-UP BEFORE TAKEOFF THE ENGINE SPIT, BACKFIRED, AND THEN CLEARED UP.' HE INITIATED THE TAKEOFF ROLL AND 'EVERYTHING WAS FINE FOR A FEW SECONDS,' AND THEN 'ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY THE ENGINE COUGHED, SPIT, AND BACKFIRED AGAIN.' SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND ENTERING THE COCKPIT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, HE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE OVERRAN THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST IN A DITCH. THE PILOT/OPERATOR REMOVED AND EXAMINED THE ENGINE OIL SUMP FROM THE PRATT AND WHITNEY R-1340-AN1 ENGINE. HE OBSERVED 'NUMEROUS PIECES AND SHAVINGS' OF FERROUS METAL. HE STATED THAT THE PIECES RESEMBLED CYLINDER PARTS. NO FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE WAS CONDUCTED. (-23)ABOUT 0700 AM MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1999, THE PILOT OF A THRUSH S2R, N4919X, STARTED TO TAKE OFF FROM SICKLES FIELD NEAR LOOKEBA, OKLAHOMA, WHEN HE HEARD THE ENGINE BACKFIRE AND THE COCKPIT FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKE OFF AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OVER A DITCH AT THE END OF THE SHORT RUNWAY AND STOPPED WITH THE NOS E OF THE AIRCRAFT DOWN. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO GET AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. THE PILOT THINKS THE ENGINE INDUCTION IMPELLER FAILED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO BACKFIRE. HE THINKS THE FIRE WAS DUE TO FUEL BEING SUPPLIED TO THE ENGINE THROUGH THE CARBURETOR BECAUSE OF THE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.