20180814011569A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-802A · Laurier, WA · August 14, 2018

Date: August 14, 2018 · 15:15 local
Place: Laurier, WA
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: 7AQG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N397AS
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR18LA222
Reported as: Air Tractor AT-802A
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67F
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 8,012 total3,215 in this make and model90 in the last 90 days

N397ASRegistration cancelled Dec 5, 2020 · Air Tractor AT-802AS/N 802A-0563 · Built 2014 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-802A Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67FTurbo-prop

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 pilot was conducting fire run missions near Laurier Washington on August 14 when he lost engine power. The pilot had just filled the hopper, and was returning to conduct another run. The pilot was flying at about 800 feet above ground level (AGL) and climbing to clear a ridge, which was about 300 feet below when a loud band was heard. Immediately after the bang, a distress call was made, and then the emergency dump lever was pulled to lose the load of water. After that, the pilot made a 200 degree turn, and began to look for a spot to land. The engine throttle was tried again, the engine spooling up could be heard, but no power was produced. The pilot opted to land in the trees, as the aircraft wouldn?t fit on the road available. After landing, the engine had a flash fire out of the right side for a split second. The pilot was able to exit the aircraft and make it to the adjacent road, where he was spotted by other aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING FIRE RUN MISSIONS NEAR LAURIER WASHINGTON ON AUGUST 14 WHEN HE LOST ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT HAD JUST FILLED THE HOPPER, AND WAS RETURNING TO CONDUCT ANOTHER RUN. THE PILOT WAS FLYING AT ABOUT 800 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AND CLIMBING TO CLEAR A RIDGE, WHICH WAS ABOUT 300 FEET BELOW WHEN A LOUD BAND WAS HEARD. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BANG, A DISTRESS CALL WAS MADE, AND THEN THE EMERGENCY DUMP LEVER WAS PULLED TO LOSE THE LOAD OF WATER. AFTER THAT, THE PILOT MADE A 200 DEGREE TURN, AND BEGAN TO LOOK FOR A SPOT TO LAND. THE ENGINE THROTTLE WAS TRIED AGAIN, THE ENGINE SPOOLING UP COULD BE HEARD, BUT NO POWER WAS PRODUCED. THE PILOT OPTED TO LAND IN THE TREES, AS THE AIRCRAFT WOULDN?T FIT ON THE ROAD AVAILABLE. AFTER LANDING, THE ENGINE HAD A FLASH FIRE OUT OF THE RIGHT SIDE FOR A SPLIT SECOND. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT AND MAKE IT TO THE ADJACENT ROAD, WHERE HE WAS SPOTTED BY OTHER AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR18LA222Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportNorthport, WAA total loss of engine power during a climb due to an accumulation of molten environmental particles, the source of which could not be determined based on the available evidence, which resulted in a forced landing.Aug 14, 2018 · Substantial damage