What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 27, 2016, about 1553 pacific standard time, an Air tractor AT-602, N602L, was substantially damaged during a forced landing at Willows-glenn county airport (wlw), Willows, California. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was privacy data omitted and operated by the pilot under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight that departed medlock field airport (69CL), davis, California at approximately 1527. The personal flight was destined for wlw. According to the pilot, he was returning the airplane to his home airport after a recent annual inspection. At the conclusion of the 25 minute flight, the pilot initiated a straight-in approach to runway 31 and slightly reduced the throttle. Immediately, he heard a ?pop? Noise, and observed a reduction in airspeed. When the pilot advanced the throttle to full power the engine power and airspeed did not change and the airplane began to sink rapidly. Further attempts to recycle the throttle were unsuccessful. As the airplane approached a canal on the south end of the airport, the pilot deployed the wing flaps and the main landing gear touched down on a gravel road beyond a ditch. The tailwheel impacted the ditch and the airplane flipped over and came to rest inverted.
Postaccident examination by a federal aviation administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the rudder vertical fin and left wing tip spar. The canopy and horizontal fin were also damaged.
The engine sustained minimal damage with the exception of the left side exhaust tube, which was displayed some compression wrinkles. The propeller was immovable and exhibited a mechanical sound from the aft portion of the gearbox at the engine power section. Each of the 5 propeller blades exhibited bends and chordwise scratches. Hydraulic fluid leaked from the hydraulic box that operates the hopper lid, located above the fuel controller, which also received some of the liberated hydraulic fluid. During further evaluation of the engine it was determined the compressor bleed valve was installed incorrectly at the last annual inspection
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 27, 2016, ABOUT 1553 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-602, N602L, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING AT WILLOWS-GLENN COUNTY AIRPORT (WLW), WILLOWS, CALIFORNIA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED MEDLOCK FIELD AIRPORT (69CL), DAVIS, CALIFORNIA AT APPROXIMATELY 1527. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS DESTINED FOR WLW. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS RETURNING THE AIRPLANE TO HIS HOME AIRPORT AFTER A RECENT ANNUAL INSPECTION. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE 25 MINUTE FLIGHT, THE PILOT INITIATED A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 31 AND SLIGHTLY REDUCED THE THROTTLE. IMMEDIATELY, HE HEARD A ?POP? NOISE, AND OBSERVED A REDUCTION IN AIRSPEED. WHEN THE PILOT ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO FULL POWER THE ENGINE POWER AND AIRSPEED DID NOT CHANGE AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SINK RAPIDLY. FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO RECYCLE THE THROTTLE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. AS THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED A CANAL ON THE SOUTH END OF THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT DEPLOYED THE WING FLAPS AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR TOUCHED DOWN ON A GRAVEL ROAD BEYOND A DITCH. THE TAILWHEEL IMPACTED THE DITCH AND THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED.
POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION BY A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RUDDER VERTICAL FIN AND LEFT WING TIP SPAR. THE CANOPY AND HORIZONTAL FIN WERE ALSO DAMAGED.
THE ENGINE SUSTAINED MINIMAL DAMAGE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LEFT SIDE EXHAUST TUBE, WHICH WAS DISPLAYED SOME COMPRESSION WRINKLES. THE PROPELLER WAS IMMOVABLE AND EXHIBITED A MECHANICAL SOUND FROM THE AFT PORTION OF THE GEARBOX AT THE ENGINE POWER SECTION. EACH OF THE 5 PROPELLER BLADES EXHIBITED BENDS AND CHORDWISE SCRATCHES. HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKED FROM THE HYDRAULIC BOX THAT OPERATES THE HOPPER LID, LOCATED ABOVE THE FUEL CONTROLLER, WHICH ALSO RECEIVED SOME OF THE LIBERATED HYDRAULIC FLUID. DURING FURTHER EVALUATION OF THE ENGINE IT WAS DETERMINED THE COMPRESSOR BLEED VALVE WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AT THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.