20020917026699A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna A188A · Vincent, TX · September 17, 2002

Date
September 17, 2002 · 18:00 local
Place
Vincent, TX
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
SV0G
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9943G
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW02LA263
Reported as
Cessna A188A
Reported engine
Continental IO520*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,463 total1,100 in this make and model100 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) On September 17, 2002, at 1800 CDT, a Cessna 188A, single engine agricultural airplane, N9943G, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power near Vincent, Texas. Pilot was not injured. VMC conditions prevailed. Aircraft was operating under title 14 CFR part 137 aerial application, flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from big spring mcmahon-wrinkle airport, big spring, Texas at 1745. In a telephone interview with the NTSB iic, pilot reported that while spraying a cotton field at an altitude of 2 to 3 ft. AGL, "the engine just totally quit without any warning." The pilot stated that he the added "some flaps" and landed straight ahead in the field he was spraying. During rollout, pilot reported "a ditch was coming up in front of me, so in order not to hit it, I applied hard braking which caused the airplane to go up on its nose." An FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported the engine mount was bent, the firewall sustained substantial damage, both propeller blades were damaged, and the left wing tip was damaged. (.4) on September 17, 2002, at 1210 central daylight time, a Cessna 188A single-engine agricultural airplane, N9943G, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Vincent, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the elk creek spraying service of nacogdoches, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 137 aerial application flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from the big spring mcmahon-wrinkle airport, big spring, Texas, at 1100. In a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that while spraying a cotton field at an altitude of approximately 2 to 3 feet AGL, "the engine just quit." The pilot stated that he then added "some flaps" and landed straight ahead to the sandy cotton field he had been spraying. After landing and during the roll out, the pilot reported "a ditch was coming up in front of me, so in order not to hit it, I applied hard braking which caused the airplane to go up on its nose." An FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported the center portion of the firewall was structurally damaged, the engine mount was bent, both propeller blades were bent, and the left wing tip was damaged. The reason for the loss of engine power was undetermined.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2002, AT 1800 CDT, A CESSNA 188A, SINGLE ENGINE AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE, N9943G, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR VINCENT, TEXAS. PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED. AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION, FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM BIG SPRING MCMAHON-WRINKLE AIRPORT, BIG SPRING, TEXAS AT 1745. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE NTSB IIC, PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE SPRAYING A COTTON FIELD AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2 TO 3 FT. AGL, "THE ENGINE JUST TOTALLY QUIT WITHOUT ANY WARNING." THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THE ADDED "SOME FLAPS" AND LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD IN THE FIELD HE WAS SPRAYING. DURING ROLLOUT, PILOT REPORTED "A DITCH WAS COMING UP IN FRONT OF ME, SO IN ORDER NOT TO HIT IT, I APPLIED HARD BRAKING WHICH CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO GO UP ON ITS NOSE." AN FAA INSPECTOR, WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED THE ENGINE MOUNT WAS BENT, THE FIREWALL SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, BOTH PROPELLER BLADES WERE DAMAGED, AND THE LEFT WING TIP WAS DAMAGED. (.4) ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2002, AT 1210 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 188A SINGLE-ENGINE AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE, N9943G, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR VINCENT, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY THE ELK CREEK SPRAYING SERVICE OF NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE BIG SPRING MCMAHON-WRINKLE AIRPORT, BIG SPRING, TEXAS, AT 1100. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE SPRAYING A COTTON FIELD AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 3 FEET AGL, "THE ENGINE JUST QUIT." THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THEN ADDED "SOME FLAPS" AND LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD TO THE SANDY COTTON FIELD HE HAD BEEN SPRAYING. AFTER LANDING AND DURING THE ROLL OUT, THE PILOT REPORTED "A DITCH WAS COMING UP IN FRONT OF ME, SO IN ORDER NOT TO HIT IT, I APPLIED HARD BRAKING WHICH CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO GO UP ON ITS NOSE." AN FAA INSPECTOR, WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED THE CENTER PORTION OF THE FIREWALL WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED, THE ENGINE MOUNT WAS BENT, BOTH PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT, AND THE LEFT WING TIP WAS DAMAGED. THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS UNDETERMINED.

NTSB investigation

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