20040710013979A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-401 · Winnsboro, LA · July 10, 2004

Date: July 10, 2004 · 12:30 local
Place: Winnsboro, LA
Airport: Winnsboro Municipal Marpt
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: MFMG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N10061
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW04LA179
Reported as: Airtrc AT401
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,000 total4,500 in this make and model300 in the last 90 days

N10061Registration cancelled Sep 10, 2007 · Air Tractor AT-401S/N 401-0696 · Built 1988 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-401 Engine modelPratt & Whitney R1340 seriesReciprocating

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) Pilot was spraying a field near Winnsboro, Louisiana when his engine quit. Pilot explained that he was race tracking I.e. (making constant left hand turns until all the fuel in the right wing has emptied into the left wing, the engine experienced cavitation and quit. Pilot landed aircraft in a ditch and ripped the right landing gear and bent the fuselage. Issued a saap to the pilot for inappropriate operation of the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS SPRAYING A FIELD NEAR WINNSBORO, LOUISIANA WHEN HIS ENGINE QUIT. PILOT EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS RACE TRACKING I.E. (MAKING CONSTANT LEFT HAND TURNS UNTIL ALL THE FUEL IN THE RIGHT WING HAS EMPTIED INTO THE LEFT WING, THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED CAVITATION AND QUIT. PILOT LANDED AIRCRAFT IN A DITCH AND RIPPED THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR AND BENT THE FUSELAGE. ISSUED A SAAP TO THE PILOT FOR INAPPROPRIATE OPERATION 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.

NTSB FTW04LA179Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWinnsboro, LAThe pilot's mismanagement of fuel resulting in fuel starvation. A contributing factor was the ditch.Jul 10, 2004 · Substantial damage