# Accident 20130508012639A: Air Tractor Inc AT-302, Winnie, TX, May 8, 2013 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 8, 2013, 19:30 local time - Place: Winnie, TX - Airport: Winnie/Stowell, Chanbers Co. - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.8189° N, 94.4311° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.8189&lon=-94.4311&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3650B, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3650B-2015-05-20) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Air Tractor AT-302 (registry code 0390104, https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-302) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-302 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 3,800 total, 320 in this make and model, 125 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN13LA283](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA283) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130508012639A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN13LA283](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA283), May 9, 2013: Air Tractor AT-302 (N3650B), Winnie, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The improper decision by the pilot to attempt a flight with a known fuel system-related maintenance discrepancy, which resulted in a fuel imbalance and subsequent fuel starvation during an approach… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.