20250703011069I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Air Tractor AT-502 · Dietrich, ID · July 3, 2025

Date
July 3, 2025 · 11:00 local
Place
Dietrich, ID
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
JURG
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N9195X
Reported as
Air Tractor AT-502
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,734 total

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.

On the fourth load of dry fertilizer that was being applied 10 NE of jerome county, Idaho, he had just finished the load and was returning back to the airport. 8 miles NE of airport the engine sustained a catastrophic failure. Instantly recognizing the emergency, he first shut the fuel controller/main fuel off. Radioed out on company radio "engine out going down in the desert". While looking for landing spots, maintained glide slope. Off to his left was no option (severe terrain) so was forced into a diving right turn to maintain airspeed and to land into the wind. Only option was a small natural dry bed with less terrain. He dedicated and touched down on the dry bed, applied full brake and came to a stop without any further damage to the aircraft. From engine out to touchdown was 7 seconds.

As the FAA filed it

ON THE FOURTH LOAD OF DRY FERTILIZER THAT WAS BEING APPLIED 10 NE OF JEROME COUNTY, IDAHO, HE HAD JUST FINISHED THE LOAD AND WAS RETURNING BACK TO THE AIRPORT. 8 MILES NE OF AIRPORT THE ENGINE SUSTAINED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. INSTANTLY RECOGNIZING THE EMERGENCY, HE FIRST SHUT THE FUEL CONTROLLER/MAIN FUEL OFF. RADIOED OUT ON COMPANY RADIO "ENGINE OUT GOING DOWN IN THE DESERT". WHILE LOOKING FOR LANDING SPOTS, MAINTAINED GLIDE SLOPE. OFF TO HIS LEFT WAS NO OPTION (SEVERE TERRAIN) SO WAS FORCED INTO A DIVING RIGHT TURN TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AND TO LAND INTO THE WIND. ONLY OPTION WAS A SMALL NATURAL DRY BED WITH LESS TERRAIN. HE DEDICATED AND TOUCHED DOWN ON THE DRY BED, APPLIED FULL BRAKE AND CAME TO A STOP WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. FROM ENGINE OUT TO TOUCHDOWN WAS 7 SECONDS.