20000831004609A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna T188C · Furman, SC · August 31, 2000

Date
August 31, 2000 · 10:45 local
Place
Furman, SC
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9566J
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA00LA256
Reported as
Cessna T188C
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,322 total907 in this make and model

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.

On August 1, 2000, at approximately 10:45 a.m. local time, N9566J was operated by christopher strickland who was dispensing economic poisons. N9566J appeared to have run out of fuel. The engine quit and N9566J crashed on landing adjacent to the field that was being sprayed. (.4) on August 31, 2000, about 1045 eastern daylight time, a Cessna T188C, N9566J, registered to and operated by stricks air care, inc., as a title 14 CFR part 137 aerial application flight, crashed while attempting a forced landing following loss of engine power near Furman, south carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the commercial-rated pilot received minor injuries. The flight originated from garnett, south carolina, the same day, about 1005. The pilot stated that at about 1045, while spraying, he smelled fuel in the cockpit. He initiated a climb out of the field and at 100 feet the engine lost power. He made a right turn toward a small clearing and set up for an emergency landing. The aircraft cleared power lines and a highway before impacting rough terrain at a slig htly nose down attitude. The aircraft then skidded about 50 feet and came to rest. The pilot stated he last fueled the aircraft on August 28, 2000, and that prior to the accident flight he did not physically check the fuel level. The pilot stated he did not have any mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft. Postcrash examination of the aircraft and crash site by an FAA inspector showed there was no sign of fuel in the aircraft, or fuel stains on the aircraft. There was no odor of fuel or signs of fuel on the ground in the area of the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

ON AUGUST 1, 2000, AT APPROXIMATELY 10:45 A.M. LOCAL TIME, N9566J WAS OPERATED BY CHRISTOPHER STRICKLAND WHO WAS DISPENSING ECONOMIC POISONS. N9566J APPEARED TO HAVE RUN OUT OF FUEL. THE ENGINE QUIT AND N9566J CRASHED ON LANDING ADJACENT TO THE FIELD THAT WAS BEING SPRAYED. (.4) ON AUGUST 31, 2000, ABOUT 1045 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA T188C, N9566J, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY STRICKS AIR CARE, INC., AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR FURMAN, SOUTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM GARNETT, SOUTH CAROLINA, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1005. THE PILOT STATED THAT AT ABOUT 1045, WHILE SPRAYING, HE SMELLED FUEL IN THE COCKPIT. HE INITIATED A CLIMB OUT OF THE FIELD AND AT 100 FEET THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE MADE A RIGHT TURN TOWARD A SMALL CLEARING AND SET UP FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT CLEARED POWER LINES AND A HIGHWAY BEFORE IMPACTING ROUGH TERRAIN AT A SLIG HTLY NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SKIDDED ABOUT 50 FEET AND CAME TO REST. THE PILOT STATED HE LAST FUELED THE AIRCRAFT ON AUGUST 28, 2000, AND THAT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT HE DID NOT PHYSICALLY CHECK THE FUEL LEVEL. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT HAVE ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRCRAFT. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CRASH SITE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR SHOWED THERE WAS NO SIGN OF FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT, OR FUEL STAINS ON THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO ODOR OF FUEL OR SIGNS OF FUEL ON THE GROUND IN THE AREA OF 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.