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20060601008109A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-401 · Garden City, TX · June 1, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 1, 2006 · 11:00 local
Place
Garden City, TX
Phase of flight
Forced Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
SMRG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7318C
NTSB investigation
NTSBDFW06CA149
Reported as
Airtrc AT401
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney R1340*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,429 total412 in this make and model140 in the last 90 days
N7318CRegistration cancelled Jun 10, 2009 · Air Tractor AT-401S/N 401-0680Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-401

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 June 1, 2006, N7318C, an air tractor model AT-401 aircraft, ran out of fuel during a flight test and subsequently made a forced landing on a cotton field approximately .3 miles southwest of the south end of runway 34 at summers spraying service, inc. near saint lawrence, Texas. The left wing struck the ground first followed by the two main landing gear, then the aircraft bounced one time and came to rest approximately 140 feet from initial impact. The skid marks were on a heading of 125 degrees and the aircraft came to rest on a heading of 130 degrees. Both propeller blades were bent, one being very minor and the other bent backward about midspan. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, which included the right wing, right main landing gear completely broken off, and the fuselage buckled along the right side along the lower longerons. No injuries were received by the pilot, which was the sole occupant. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 VFR flight.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JUNE 1, 2006, N7318C, AN AIR TRACTOR MODEL AT-401 AIRCRAFT, RAN OUT OF FUEL DURING A FLIGHT TEST AND SUBSEQUENTLY MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A COTTON FIELD APPROXIMATELY .3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTH END OF RUNWAY 34 AT SUMMERS SPRAYING SERVICE, INC. NEAR SAINT LAWRENCE, TEXAS. THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND FIRST FOLLOWED BY THE TWO MAIN LANDING GEAR, THEN THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED ONE TIME AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 140 FEET FROM INITIAL IMPACT. THE SKID MARKS WERE ON A HEADING OF 125 DEGREES AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A HEADING OF 130 DEGREES. BOTH PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT, ONE BEING VERY MINOR AND THE OTHER BENT BACKWARD ABOUT MIDSPAN. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, WHICH INCLUDED THE RIGHT WING, RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COMPLETELY BROKEN OFF, AND THE FUSELAGE BUCKLED ALONG THE RIGHT SIDE ALONG THE LOWER LONGERONS. NO INJURIES WERE RECEIVED BY THE PILOT, WHICH WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 VFR FLIGHT.

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 DFW06CA149Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportGarden City, TXThe pilot's improper in-flight planning resulting in the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Jun 1, 2006 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7318C · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19900827036489AForced/Precautionary Landing · Jacksonville, ARReported partial power loss on takeoff. Mushed in crop and nosed over. Engine ran normal on test. High temperature.Aug 27, 1990 · Substantial damage