What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N3095X, an aayres corporation model SR2-T34/AG airplane, was conducting dispensing operations on the afternoon of 02/15/2013, southeast of Ft. Gaines, GA.
The pilot noticed an unbalanced fuel load and then noted some roughness to the engine operation just as the dispensing operation was ending. The pilot headed directly back to base. At this time the pilot noted that the right tank possessed less fuel than the left tank.
Moments later the aircraft lost power and the pilot was able to maneuver the aircraft to make an emeergency landing in a sparcely wooded field which had been recently harvested, so most large trees were absent.
On touchdown/rollout during the crash sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage and came to rest upright, facing the direction it approached from, making a 180 degree turn on touchdown .
During the accident investigation the faa/iic noted that both tanks possessed fuel, yet the right tank possessed a substantially lower amount of fuel than the left tank. At this point, the fuel level issue was possibly due to the fact that the aircraft came to rest left wing low. This happened because the left gear was displace to the right side of the aircraft fuselage during the landing/crash sequence, placing the left wing lower than the right.
Additionally, the fuel system contained a center header tank which was gravity fed by both wing tanks. The fuel on/off selector was downstream from the header tank inbetween the header tank and the engine. The fuel switch was noted to be in the "on" position and it was moving freely when tested. The fuel tanks did not rupture yet some of the fuel could have move into the left tank as the aircraft came to rest left wing low due to the damage to the landing gear.
As the FAA filed it
N3095X, AN AAYRES CORPORATION MODEL SR2-T34/AG AIRPLANE, WAS CONDUCTING DISPENSING OPERATIONS ON THE AFTERNOON OF 02/15/2013, SOUTHEAST OF FT. GAINES, GA.
THE PILOT NOTICED AN UNBALANCED FUEL LOAD AND THEN NOTED SOME ROUGHNESS TO THE ENGINE OPERATION JUST AS THE DISPENSING OPERATION WAS ENDING. THE PILOT HEADED DIRECTLY BACK TO BASE. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE RIGHT TANK POSSESSED LESS FUEL THAN THE LEFT TANK.
MOMENTS LATER THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AND THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE AIRCRAFT TO MAKE AN EMEERGENCY LANDING IN A SPARCELY WOODED FIELD WHICH HAD BEEN RECENTLY HARVESTED, SO MOST LARGE TREES WERE ABSENT.
ON TOUCHDOWN/ROLLOUT DURING THE CRASH SEQUENCE, THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT, FACING THE DIRECTION IT APPROACHED FROM, MAKING A 180 DEGREE TURN ON TOUCHDOWN .
DURING THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION THE FAA/IIC NOTED THAT BOTH TANKS POSSESSED FUEL, YET THE RIGHT TANK POSSESSED A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER AMOUNT OF FUEL THAN THE LEFT TANK. AT THIS POINT, THE FUEL LEVEL ISSUE WAS POSSIBLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST LEFT WING LOW. THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE LEFT GEAR WAS DISPLACE TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE DURING THE LANDING/CRASH SEQUENCE, PLACING THE LEFT WING LOWER THAN THE RIGHT.
ADDITIONALLY, THE FUEL SYSTEM CONTAINED A CENTER HEADER TANK WHICH WAS GRAVITY FED BY BOTH WING TANKS. THE FUEL ON/OFF SELECTOR WAS DOWNSTREAM FROM THE HEADER TANK INBETWEEN THE HEADER TANK AND THE ENGINE. THE FUEL SWITCH WAS NOTED TO BE IN THE "ON" POSITION AND IT WAS MOVING FREELY WHEN TESTED. THE FUEL TANKS DID NOT RUPTURE YET SOME OF THE FUEL COULD HAVE MOVE INTO THE LEFT TANK AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST LEFT WING LOW DUE TO THE DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR.
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 N3095X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.