What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
In 1999, Air tractor put out two service letters for all models of Air tractor aircraft stating a fuel imbalance can result by a number of different situations and guidance for owners and operators to prevent/minimize fuel imbalances which could lead to fuel starvation if one tank goes dry.
The pilot had flown the aircraft, Air tractor N3650B, for several months prior to the accident as a crop duster. During this time the pilot noticed fuel imbalance issues with the aircraft's left tank feeding considerably faster than the right tank.
On 8 may 2013, the pilot was ferrying the aircraft to a new owner in Winnie, TX and was on the last flight of a 3 leg trip stopping for fuel at slidell, Louisiana. The weather was VFR and no flight plan was filed. The pilot elected to leave the aircraft running in chocks while getting out to charge his ?ipad? Inside the FBO and had the attendant do the refueling. The pilot stated the aircraft would not start again if it were shutdown. The attendant filled both tanks until fuel vented out of the aircraft?s fuel ports with 88 gallons. The attendant charged the fuel to the pilot the following day for the transaction since the refueling was done after normal business hours.
The pilot calculated the flight from slidell, la to Winnie, TX to be approximately 2.5 hours with a burn rate of 40 gal/hr and have 3 hours of endurance. Approximately 20 minutes from the destination the pilot noticed the right fuel tank indicated empty with the left tank indicating half. The aircraft had developed a fuel imbalance for unknown reasons. The right fuel tank was empty and the pilot elected to continue the flight, flying past several airports along the flight path. Approximately six minutes from the final destination the pilot elected to divert to chambers county airport, TX and turned the aircraft slightly right to align the aircraft for a left base to runway 17. The pilot then banked the aircraft left and lowered the left wing with the remaining usable fuel for a left base to runway 17. The left fuel tank feed line was uncovered of fuel, Air was allowed in the fuel line, the aircraft?s engine flamed out, and the aircraft immediately stalled with the left wing low. The aircraft was approximately 100? Above the ground when the stall occurred and with little or no time to recover from the stall. The pilot attempted to level the aircraft and put flaps down. The aircraft impacted the ground with the left wing low on an approximate heading of 255°. The left main gear struck the ground first and buckled up under the fuselage before breaking off. The aircraft bounced in the Air for another 10? Then struck the ground again, collapsing the right main landing gear, buckling the fuselage in front, above, and behind the landing gear, crushing the hopper, and bending all three propeller blades. The aircraft continued to skid on the ground and then turned south of a heading of 160° before coming to rest approximately four tenths of a mile from the end of the runway.
The pilot shutdown electrical power and exited the aircraft with only minor bruises.
As the FAA filed it
IN 1999, AIR TRACTOR PUT OUT TWO SERVICE LETTERS FOR ALL MODELS OF AIR TRACTOR AIRCRAFT STATING A FUEL IMBALANCE CAN RESULT BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SITUATIONS AND GUIDANCE FOR OWNERS AND OPERATORS TO PREVENT/MINIMIZE FUEL IMBALANCES WHICH COULD LEAD TO FUEL STARVATION IF ONE TANK GOES DRY.
THE PILOT HAD FLOWN THE AIRCRAFT, AIR TRACTOR N3650B, FOR SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AS A CROP DUSTER. DURING THIS TIME THE PILOT NOTICED FUEL IMBALANCE ISSUES WITH THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT TANK FEEDING CONSIDERABLY FASTER THAN THE RIGHT TANK.
ON 8 MAY 2013, THE PILOT WAS FERRYING THE AIRCRAFT TO A NEW OWNER IN WINNIE, TX AND WAS ON THE LAST FLIGHT OF A 3 LEG TRIP STOPPING FOR FUEL AT SLIDELL, LOUISIANA. THE WEATHER WAS VFR AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LEAVE THE AIRCRAFT RUNNING IN CHOCKS WHILE GETTING OUT TO CHARGE HIS ?IPAD? INSIDE THE FBO AND HAD THE ATTENDANT DO THE REFUELING. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT START AGAIN IF IT WERE SHUTDOWN. THE ATTENDANT FILLED BOTH TANKS UNTIL FUEL VENTED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT?S FUEL PORTS WITH 88 GALLONS. THE ATTENDANT CHARGED THE FUEL TO THE PILOT THE FOLLOWING DAY FOR THE TRANSACTION SINCE THE REFUELING WAS DONE AFTER NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS.
THE PILOT CALCULATED THE FLIGHT FROM SLIDELL, LA TO WINNIE, TX TO BE APPROXIMATELY 2.5 HOURS WITH A BURN RATE OF 40 GAL/HR AND HAVE 3 HOURS OF ENDURANCE. APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES FROM THE DESTINATION THE PILOT NOTICED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK INDICATED EMPTY WITH THE LEFT TANK INDICATING HALF. THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEVELOPED A FUEL IMBALANCE FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT, FLYING PAST SEVERAL AIRPORTS ALONG THE FLIGHT PATH. APPROXIMATELY SIX MINUTES FROM THE FINAL DESTINATION THE PILOT ELECTED TO DIVERT TO CHAMBERS COUNTY AIRPORT, TX AND TURNED THE AIRCRAFT SLIGHTLY RIGHT TO ALIGN THE AIRCRAFT FOR A LEFT BASE TO RUNWAY 17. THE PILOT THEN BANKED THE AIRCRAFT LEFT AND LOWERED THE LEFT WING WITH THE REMAINING USABLE FUEL FOR A LEFT BASE TO RUNWAY 17. THE LEFT FUEL TANK FEED LINE WAS UNCOVERED OF FUEL, AIR WAS ALLOWED IN THE FUEL LINE, THE AIRCRAFT?S ENGINE FLAMED OUT, AND THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY STALLED WITH THE LEFT WING LOW. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 100? ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN THE STALL OCCURRED AND WITH LITTLE OR NO TIME TO RECOVER FROM THE STALL. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT AND PUT FLAPS DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH THE LEFT WING LOW ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 255°. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR STRUCK THE GROUND FIRST AND BUCKLED UP UNDER THE FUSELAGE BEFORE BREAKING OFF. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED IN THE AIR FOR ANOTHER 10? THEN STRUCK THE GROUND AGAIN, COLLAPSING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR, BUCKLING THE FUSELAGE IN FRONT, ABOVE, AND BEHIND THE LANDING GEAR, CRUSHING THE HOPPER, AND BENDING ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADES. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SKID ON THE GROUND AND THEN TURNED SOUTH OF A HEADING OF 160° BEFORE COMING TO REST APPROXIMATELY FOUR TENTHS OF A MILE FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY.
THE PILOT SHUTDOWN ELECTRICAL POWER AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH ONLY MINOR BRUISES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.