What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft lost power while completing a turn during spraying operations. The pilot stated that upon experiencing power loss, he leveled the wings and proceeded toward a possible landing sight in front of him. He placed the power lever forward, but did not experience an increase in power. He reconsidered his choice of landing field, after travelling a half mile, completed a 180 degree turn and attempted to land in the field he just passed over. As he completed his turn, he noticed that although he had no power increase, the engine temperature was increasing towards redline. By the time he touched down, he said he had pulled the power lever to idle. He touched down apparently in a slip approximately 3/4 of the way down the field. The left main gear collapsed, and the plane slid to a stop, traveling backwards momentarily, then turning and sliding to the right up to a tree line. The aft fuselage was broken and bent from ground forces while sliding backward. Some chemicals (headline fungicide) were lost onto the ground. The state chemist and idem were notified and clean-up undertaken. The propeller exhibited two, nearly opposite blades in apparent feather, with the other three in flat pitch. The flat blades demonstrate leading edge ground scars. The two apparently feathered blades demonstrate bending away from the blade face. Atomized oil was observed on the spinner and cowl, with some streaking aft along the cowl. Oil was also observed on the ground under the propeller. Upon removing the spinner, it was determined that one blade link was dislocated from its blade pin, with two other blade link attach points broken free of the cylinder. The cylinder was broken open.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER WHILE COMPLETING A TURN DURING SPRAYING OPERATIONS. THE PILOT STATED THAT UPON EXPERIENCING POWER LOSS, HE LEVELED THE WINGS AND PROCEEDED TOWARD A POSSIBLE LANDING SIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM. HE PLACED THE POWER LEVER FORWARD, BUT DID NOT EXPERIENCE AN INCREASE IN POWER. HE RECONSIDERED HIS CHOICE OF LANDING FIELD, AFTER TRAVELLING A HALF MILE, COMPLETED A 180 DEGREE TURN AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN THE FIELD HE JUST PASSED OVER. AS HE COMPLETED HIS TURN, HE NOTICED THAT ALTHOUGH HE HAD NO POWER INCREASE, THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WAS INCREASING TOWARDS REDLINE. BY THE TIME HE TOUCHED DOWN, HE SAID HE HAD PULLED THE POWER LEVER TO IDLE. HE TOUCHED DOWN APPARENTLY IN A SLIP APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF THE WAY DOWN THE FIELD. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE PLANE SLID TO A STOP, TRAVELING BACKWARDS MOMENTARILY, THEN TURNING AND SLIDING TO THE RIGHT UP TO A TREE LINE. THE AFT FUSELAGE WAS BROKEN AND BENT FROM GROUND FORCES WHILE SLIDING BACKWARD. SOME CHEMICALS (HEADLINE FUNGICIDE) WERE LOST ONTO THE GROUND. THE STATE CHEMIST AND IDEM WERE NOTIFIED AND CLEAN-UP UNDERTAKEN. THE PROPELLER EXHIBITED TWO, NEARLY OPPOSITE BLADES IN APPARENT FEATHER, WITH THE OTHER THREE IN FLAT PITCH. THE FLAT BLADES DEMONSTRATE LEADING EDGE GROUND SCARS. THE TWO APPARENTLY FEATHERED BLADES DEMONSTRATE BENDING AWAY FROM THE BLADE FACE. ATOMIZED OIL WAS OBSERVED ON THE SPINNER AND COWL, WITH SOME STREAKING AFT ALONG THE COWL. OIL WAS ALSO OBSERVED ON THE GROUND UNDER THE PROPELLER. UPON REMOVING THE SPINNER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ONE BLADE LINK WAS DISLOCATED FROM ITS BLADE PIN, WITH TWO OTHER BLADE LINK ATTACH POINTS BROKEN FREE OF THE CYLINDER. THE CYLINDER WAS BROKEN OPEN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N92640 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.