What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft departed at approximately 0700, July 14, 2000 from Blythe, CA. Airport on a routine agricultural spraying operation. At approximately 0720 after spraying two fields, pilot noticed severe engine vibrations and attemted to land on a field east of neighbors, north of 28th avenue, in Blythe, CA. During emergency landing the aircrafts main landing gear struck an irrigation canal soil embankment causing aircraft to get airborne once again for approxiamtely 75-100' coming nose down, flipping and coming to rest on its back in a cotton field. Amendment: engine teardown of engine R1340N1, s/n ZP102256 revealed that no. 7 piston rod assembly fracture. (.4) on July 13, 2000, about 0715 hours pacific daylight time, an air tractor AT-401, N4508Y, operated by farmers aerial service, inc., Blythe, California, experienced a partial loss of engine power during an aerial application flight near ripley, California. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot made a forced landing in a cotton field. During rollout, the airplane collid ed with an irrigation canal soil embankment and nosed over. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the commercial certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the flight that was performed under 14 CFR part 137. The flight originated from Blythe about 0700. Under the supervision of a federal aviation administration airworthiness inspector, the engine was partially torn down and examined. The inspector reported finding the connecting rod associated with the no. 7 cylinder severed at its midpoint location. Also, the rod had separated from the crankshaft. The inspector indicated that the rod's separation from the crank precipitated its midpoint break. The connecting rod pieces were severely peened and mechanically damaged. No other evidence of any preexisting failures or malfunctions was noted. The engine's total time was reported at 5,267 hours. It had been operated for 475 hours since receiving its last major overhaul.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AT APPROXIMATELY 0700, JULY 14, 2000 FROM BLYTHE, CA. AIRPORT ON A ROUTINE AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING OPERATION. AT APPROXIMATELY 0720 AFTER SPRAYING TWO FIELDS, PILOT NOTICED SEVERE ENGINE VIBRATIONS AND ATTEMTED TO LAND ON A FIELD EAST OF NEIGHBORS, NORTH OF 28TH AVENUE, IN BLYTHE, CA. DURING EMERGENCY LANDING THE AIRCRAFTS MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK AN IRRIGATION CANAL SOIL EMBANKMENT CAUSING AIRCRAFT TO GET AIRBORNE ONCE AGAIN FOR APPROXIAMTELY 75-100' COMING NOSE DOWN, FLIPPING AND COMING TO REST ON ITS BACK IN A COTTON FIELD. AMENDMENT: ENGINE TEARDOWN OF ENGINE R1340N1, S/N ZP102256 REVEALED THAT NO. 7 PISTON ROD ASSEMBLY FRACTURE. (.4) ON JULY 13, 2000, ABOUT 0715 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-401, N4508Y, OPERATED BY FARMERS AERIAL SERVICE, INC., BLYTHE, CALIFORNIA, EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT NEAR RIPLEY, CALIFORNIA. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A COTTON FIELD. DURING ROLLOUT, THE AIRPLANE COLLID ED WITH AN IRRIGATION CANAL SOIL EMBANKMENT AND NOSED OVER. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE FLIGHT THAT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 137. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM BLYTHE ABOUT 0700. UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR, THE ENGINE WAS PARTIALLY TORN DOWN AND EXAMINED. THE INSPECTOR REPORTED FINDING THE CONNECTING ROD ASSOCIATED WITH THE NO. 7 CYLINDER SEVERED AT ITS MIDPOINT LOCATION. ALSO, THE ROD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT. THE INSPECTOR INDICATED THAT THE ROD'S SEPARATION FROM THE CRANK PRECIPITATED ITS MIDPOINT BREAK. THE CONNECTING ROD PIECES WERE SEVERELY PEENED AND MECHANICALLY DAMAGED. NO OTHER EVIDENCE OF ANY PREEXISTING FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WAS NOTED. THE ENGINE'S TOTAL TIME WAS REPORTED AT 5,267 HOURS. IT HAD BEEN OPERATED FOR 475 HOURS SINCE RECEIVING ITS LAST MAJOR 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.
Other reports on N4508Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.