20200708009199I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Rockwell International S-2R · Pine Bluffs, WY · July 8, 2020

Date
July 8, 2020 · 07:28 local
Place
Pine Bluffs, WY
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
4KHG
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N331LB
Reported as
Rockwell International S-2R
Reported engine
Garrett TPE331-5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
4,618 total2,143 in this make and model216 in the last 90 days

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.

PIC loaded the aircraft to spray herbicide in a field at la grange, WY the evening prior to the incident at airport 82V . PIC started at 04:30 am by doing a normal pre-flight and startup about 05:15 am. He sprayed the first load off and returned to airport 82V. He and his crew rinsed the spray system and then loaded herbicide for a potatoe field near egbert, WY. PIC took off from 82V and sprayed the first load successfully, he then returned to the airport, loaded for a second load which was 1.5 miles from airport. He was setting up the second pass on the field when the aircrafts propeller quit turning and lost power, he immediately turned north away from the highway and houses and set up to land in the field. PIC landed but failed to clear a dry creek bed bank where the aircraft came to rest. PIC turned off engine power and exited the aircraft. A tear down inspection of the engines gearbox showed the torque sensor bearing failed.

As the FAA filed it

PIC LOADED THE AIRCRAFT TO SPRAY HERBICIDE IN A FIELD AT LA GRANGE, WY THE EVENING PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AT AIRPORT 82V . PIC STARTED AT 04:30 AM BY DOING A NORMAL PRE-FLIGHT AND STARTUP ABOUT 05:15 AM. HE SPRAYED THE FIRST LOAD OFF AND RETURNED TO AIRPORT 82V. HE AND HIS CREW RINSED THE SPRAY SYSTEM AND THEN LOADED HERBICIDE FOR A POTATOE FIELD NEAR EGBERT, WY. PIC TOOK OFF FROM 82V AND SPRAYED THE FIRST LOAD SUCCESSFULLY, HE THEN RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT, LOADED FOR A SECOND LOAD WHICH WAS 1.5 MILES FROM AIRPORT. HE WAS SETTING UP THE SECOND PASS ON THE FIELD WHEN THE AIRCRAFTS PROPELLER QUIT TURNING AND LOST POWER, HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED NORTH AWAY FROM THE HIGHWAY AND HOUSES AND SET UP TO LAND IN THE FIELD. PIC LANDED BUT FAILED TO CLEAR A DRY CREEK BED BANK WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST. PIC TURNED OFF ENGINE POWER AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. A TEAR DOWN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINES GEARBOX SHOWED THE TORQUE SENSOR BEARING FAILED.