20210806011439A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-502B · Hoyt, KS · August 6, 2021

Date: August 6, 2021 · 09:00 local
Place: Hoyt, KS
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: WCFG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N502CP
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN21LA362
Reported as: Air Tractor AT-502B
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,462 total594 in this make and model563 in the last 90 days

N502CPRegistered now · Air Tractor AT-502BS/N 502B2632 · Built 2008 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502B Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AGTurbo-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/aircraft departed K59 and was in the process of aerial

Application of chemicals to a field when the fuel low light illuminated. 10 minutes later the engine started losing power. The pilot completed an emergency landing in a bean field west of Hoyt, KS causing substantial damage to the empanage fwd of the aircraft elevator and rudder, damage to the right wing, and damage to the propeller due to striking the ground.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT/AIRCRAFT DEPARTED K59 AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF AERIAL

APPLICATION OF CHEMICALS TO A FIELD WHEN THE FUEL LOW LIGHT ILLUMINATED. 10 MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE STARTED LOSING POWER. THE PILOT COMPLETED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A BEAN FIELD WEST OF HOYT, KS CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE EMPANAGE FWD OF THE AIRCRAFT ELEVATOR AND RUDDER, DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, AND DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER DUE TO STRIKING THE GROUND.

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 CEN21LA362Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportTopeka, KSThe pilot’s decision to continue low-level aerial application flight maneuvers after the low fuel warning light illuminated, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.Aug 6, 2021 · Substantial damage