What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was conducting dry fertilizer aerial application. He had flown a couple of runs prior to the accident flight. At the turn around for this flight the pilot knew he needed gas. He got side-tracked with a telephone call and forgot about the need for gas. Right after take-off he looked at fuel gages and stated that they read just under 1/4 tank. He decided to make two passes over the field to drop fertilizer and lighten the weight on the aircraft. Enroute back to the field the aircraft ran out of gas. The pilot dumped the remaining load and attempted to land in a wet plowed field. As the aircraft slowed down the main wheels dug into the mud and the aircraft flipped over on its nose and came to rest inverted.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS CONDUCTING DRY FERTILIZER AERIAL APPLICATION. HE HAD FLOWN A COUPLE OF RUNS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. AT THE TURN AROUND FOR THIS FLIGHT THE PILOT KNEW HE NEEDED GAS. HE GOT SIDE-TRACKED WITH A TELEPHONE CALL AND FORGOT ABOUT THE NEED FOR GAS. RIGHT AFTER TAKE-OFF HE LOOKED AT FUEL GAGES AND STATED THAT THEY READ JUST UNDER 1/4 TANK. HE DECIDED TO MAKE TWO PASSES OVER THE FIELD TO DROP FERTILIZER AND LIGHTEN THE WEIGHT ON THE AIRCRAFT. ENROUTE BACK TO THE FIELD THE AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF GAS. THE PILOT DUMPED THE REMAINING LOAD AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A WET PLOWED FIELD. AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED DOWN THE MAIN WHEELS DUG INTO THE MUD AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON ITS NOSE AND CAME TO REST INVERTED.
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 N4971X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.