What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)Pilot reported aircraft ran out of fuel and found the nearest emergency area to land, which was a field dirt road running south/east direction with cliffs at both ends. He reported just missing cliff and just making it to dirt road. Pilot indicated during landing his nerves were on edge with near miss of the cliff. He stated he probably had his feet on the brakes during the landing. It was a slow landing. He said he felt he didn't pull back on the stick soon enough,or his speed was too slow for the stick to have much input. He said after all this, the aircraft's tail just seemed to come up and over. Aircraft came to rest on the upper wind and destroyed the tail section. Pilot walked away from the accidner with no injuries. Pilot stated to FSDO he had a very bad day and made some bad decisions. As FAR as stopping his spraying to get fuel, he said he thought he could finish the spraying job and get back with enough fuel. (.4) on may 18, 2000, approximately 1000 mountain daylight time, an Eagle DW-1, N8803H, registered to and operated by parowan crop dusting services, inc., was substantially damaged when it landed hard at Boulder, Utah. The co mmercial pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local aerial application flight being conducted under title 14 CFR part 137. The flight originated at parowan, Utah, approximately 0510. According to the pilot's accident report, he departed parowan with a full load of chemical (165 gallons of malathion ulv) and full fuel (60 gallons) en route to Boulder (total payload approximately 1700 pounds). The route of flight was south to huricane mesa, east to bryce canyon and escalante, thence to Boulder. Towards the end of the aerial application (1,100+ acres), wind velocity began increasing and, noticing that the fuel gauge registered 1/8 to 1/4 fuel remaining, the pilot turned towards escalante, where he planned to land and refuel. Over Boulder, the fuel gauge indicated empty. The pilot briefly considered landing at Boulder, but decided the unimproved airstrip was inadequate. Five miles from escalante and 2 miles past Boulder, the pilot realized the terrain ahead was not conducive to a forced landing. He turned back towards the Boulder airstrip. The engine lost power 1/2-mile from the airstrip. Activating the boost pump resulted in 2 seconds of engine power, enough for the airplane to cross the runway threshold. Airspeed had deteriorated to 60 mph and the airplane landed hard. The nose started to "dip" and the pilot applied full nose up elevator. The airplane continued to nose over, crushing the vertical stabilizer.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)PILOT REPORTED AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND FOUND THE NEAREST EMERGENCY AREA TO LAND, WHICH WAS A FIELD DIRT ROAD RUNNING SOUTH/EAST DIRECTION WITH CLIFFS AT BOTH ENDS. HE REPORTED JUST MISSING CLIFF AND JUST MAKING IT TO DIRT ROAD. PILOT INDICATED DURING LANDING HIS NERVES WERE ON EDGE WITH NEAR MISS OF THE CLIFF. HE STATED HE PROBABLY HAD HIS FEET ON THE BRAKES DURING THE LANDING. IT WAS A SLOW LANDING. HE SAID HE FELT HE DIDN'T PULL BACK ON THE STICK SOON ENOUGH,OR HIS SPEED WAS TOO SLOW FOR THE STICK TO HAVE MUCH INPUT. HE SAID AFTER ALL THIS, THE AIRCRAFT'S TAIL JUST SEEMED TO COME UP AND OVER. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE UPPER WIND AND DESTROYED THE TAIL SECTION. PILOT WALKED AWAY FROM THE ACCIDNER WITH NO INJURIES. PILOT STATED TO FSDO HE HAD A VERY BAD DAY AND MADE SOME BAD DECISIONS. AS FAR AS STOPPING HIS SPRAYING TO GET FUEL, HE SAID HE THOUGHT HE COULD FINISH THE SPRAYING JOB AND GET BACK WITH ENOUGH FUEL. (.4) ON MAY 18, 2000, APPROXIMATELY 1000 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EAGLE DW-1, N8803H, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY PAROWAN CROP DUSTING SERVICES, INC., WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT LANDED HARD AT BOULDER, UTAH. THE CO MMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE LOCAL AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 137. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT PAROWAN, UTAH, APPROXIMATELY 0510. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S ACCIDENT REPORT, HE DEPARTED PAROWAN WITH A FULL LOAD OF CHEMICAL (165 GALLONS OF MALATHION ULV) AND FULL FUEL (60 GALLONS) EN ROUTE TO BOULDER (TOTAL PAYLOAD APPROXIMATELY 1700 POUNDS). THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS SOUTH TO HURICANE MESA, EAST TO BRYCE CANYON AND ESCALANTE, THENCE TO BOULDER. TOWARDS THE END OF THE AERIAL APPLICATION (1,100+ ACRES), WIND VELOCITY BEGAN INCREASING AND, NOTICING THAT THE FUEL GAUGE REGISTERED 1/8 TO 1/4 FUEL REMAINING, THE PILOT TURNED TOWARDS ESCALANTE, WHERE HE PLANNED TO LAND AND REFUEL. OVER BOULDER, THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED EMPTY. THE PILOT BRIEFLY CONSIDERED LANDING AT BOULDER, BUT DECIDED THE UNIMPROVED AIRSTRIP WAS INADEQUATE. FIVE MILES FROM ESCALANTE AND 2 MILES PAST BOULDER, THE PILOT REALIZED THE TERRAIN AHEAD WAS NOT CONDUCIVE TO A FORCED LANDING. HE TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE BOULDER AIRSTRIP. THE ENGINE LOST POWER 1/2-MILE FROM THE AIRSTRIP.ACTIVATING THE BOOST PUMP RESULTED IN 2 SECONDS OF ENGINE POWER, ENOUGH FOR THE AIRPLANE TO CROSS THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. AIRSPEED HAD DETERIORATED TO 60 MPH AND THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD. THE NOSE STARTED TO "DIP" AND THE PILOT APPLIED FULL NOSE UP ELEVATOR. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO NOSE OVER, CRUSHING THE VERTICAL STABILIZER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8803H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.