20000806010589A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 188B · Washington, NC · August 6, 2000

Date
August 6, 2000 · 11:15 local
Place
Washington, NC
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
OFMG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4439Q
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA00LA233
Reported as
Cessna 188B
Reported engine
Continental O470R
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
10,000 total3,000 in this make and model52 in the last 90 days

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.

(-23) The pilot reported being involved in aerial application. At approximately 11:15 a.m. local time, the pilot began a climb from a spraying run. During the climb for the turn, the pilot reported that the engine began running very rough. As he looked for a place to land, the pilot reported seeing smoke come from the engine. The pilot made an emergency landing in a soy bean field. However, the pilot was unable to stop the aircraft before it hit a ditch across the field. The aircraft struck the ditch and the left main landing gear was torn from the aircraft. The left wing then received heavy damage, the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator were also damaged. The pilot reported no fuel or chemical spill from the accident. (.4) on August 06, 2000, about 1115 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 188B, N4439Q, registered to and operated by mike's spraying service as a title 14 CFR part 137 agricultural flight, made a forced landing in Washington, north carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated pilot reported no injuries and the aircraft incurred substantial damage. The flight originated from greenvi lle, north carolina, about 0945. The pilot/owner stated that he was maneuvering during spraying activities, when he lost engine power, observed smoke coming from the engine compartment, and attempted a forced landing. During rollout, the pilot stated that he saw a ditch and tried to avoid it. The aircraft skidded sideways and pitched over on its nose. -the pilot/owner said that he did not tear down the engine after the accident, but on the NTSB form 6120.1/2, under mechanical malfunction failure, he wrote, "...possible connecting rod breakage or piston pin failure...." The pilot/owner told the FAA after the accident he looked into the engine area and observed "a hole in the crankcase of the engine." The airplane had accumulated 52 flight hours since the last annual inspection.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT REPORTED BEING INVOLVED IN AERIAL APPLICATION. AT APPROXIMATELY 11:15 A.M. LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT BEGAN A CLIMB FROM A SPRAYING RUN. DURING THE CLIMB FOR THE TURN, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING VERY ROUGH. AS HE LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND, THE PILOT REPORTED SEEING SMOKE COME FROM THE ENGINE. THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A SOY BEAN FIELD. HOWEVER, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IT HIT A DITCH ACROSS THE FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE DITCH AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS TORN FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT WING THEN RECEIVED HEAVY DAMAGE, THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR WERE ALSO DAMAGED. THE PILOT REPORTED NO FUEL OR CHEMICAL SPILL FROM THE ACCIDENT. (.4) ON AUGUST 06, 2000, ABOUT 1115 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 188B, N4439Q, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY MIKE'S SPRAYING SERVICE AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 137 AGRICULTURAL FLIGHT, MADE A FORCED LANDING IN WASHINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM GREENVI LLE, NORTH CAROLINA, ABOUT 0945. THE PILOT/OWNER STATED THAT HE WAS MANEUVERING DURING SPRAYING ACTIVITIES, WHEN HE LOST ENGINE POWER, OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING. DURING ROLLOUT, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SAW A DITCH AND TRIED TO AVOID IT. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED SIDEWAYS AND PITCHED OVER ON ITS NOSE. -THE PILOT/OWNER SAID THAT HE DID NOT TEAR DOWN THE ENGINE AFTER THE ACCIDENT, BUT ON THE NTSB FORM 6120.1/2, UNDER MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION FAILURE, HE WROTE, "...POSSIBLE CONNECTING ROD BREAKAGE OR PISTON PIN FAILURE...." THE PILOT/OWNER TOLD THE FAA AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE LOOKED INTO THE ENGINE AREA AND OBSERVED "A HOLE IN THE CRANKCASE OF THE ENGINE." THE AIRPLANE HAD ACCUMULATED 52 FLIGHT HOURS SINCE THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.