20150730012449I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Air Tractor AT-502B · Albion, NE · July 30, 2015

Date: July 30, 2015 · 09:30 local
Place: Albion, NE
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: 6PFG
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8519V
Reported as: Air Tractor AT-502B
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,700 total

N8519VRegistered now · Air Tractor AT-502BS/N 502B-0686 · Built 2004 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502B Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The commercial pilot was conducting aerial application in a field 20 miles from Albion, Nebraska. The pilot noticed that his left fuel gauge was reading less than ¼ tank, while his right gauge was reading just over ½ tank. The pilot stated he thought this condition was due to his flying and made several more passes, ensuring the airplane remained in coordinated flight. The pilot continued to notice the left fuel gauge decreasing in quantity, while the right fuel gauge remained unchanged. The pilot ceased the spraying operation and initiated a return to the Albion airport for a precautionary landing. The aircraft lost power 1 ½ miles southwest of the Albion airport. The pilot made an off-field landing in a corn field. The pilot was not hurt and the aircraft sustained minor damage. There was damage to corn in the cornfield due to the off field landing.

As the FAA filed it

THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AERIAL APPLICATION IN A FIELD 20 MILES FROM ALBION, NEBRASKA. THE PILOT NOTICED THAT HIS LEFT FUEL GAUGE WAS READING LESS THAN ¼ TANK, WHILE HIS RIGHT GAUGE WAS READING JUST OVER ½ TANK. THE PILOT STATED HE THOUGHT THIS CONDITION WAS DUE TO HIS FLYING AND MADE SEVERAL MORE PASSES, ENSURING THE AIRPLANE REMAINED IN COORDINATED FLIGHT. THE PILOT CONTINUED TO NOTICE THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE DECREASING IN QUANTITY, WHILE THE RIGHT FUEL GAUGE REMAINED UNCHANGED. THE PILOT CEASED THE SPRAYING OPERATION AND INITIATED A RETURN TO THE ALBION AIRPORT FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER 1 ½ MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ALBION AIRPORT. THE PILOT MADE AN OFF-FIELD LANDING IN A CORN FIELD. THE PILOT WAS NOT HURT AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO CORN IN THE CORNFIELD DUE TO THE OFF FIELD LANDING.