- Date
- May 18, 2006, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Perry, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5596XRockwell International S-2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20060518010889A
- Case key
- 63724
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to refuel the airplane before fuel exhaustion, which resulted in a loss of engine power while maneuvering, and a subsequent forced landing and collision with trees.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The commercial certificated pilot was conducting agricultural spraying under Title 14, CFR Part 137, in a turbine-powered airplane, and had been refueling throughout the day at a local airport. The pilot reported that he and his ground crew kept a log of spray loads, flight time, and the quantity of fuel that was added upon each return to the airport. The pilot indicated that each refueling usually required about 70 gallons, and the airplane's fuel capacity was 104 gallons. He said that while spraying over an area of pine trees about 800 feet above ground level (agl), the engine lost power. He made a forced landing in an area of cut trees, and the airplane received structural damage to the landing gear, fuselage, and wings. The pilot said that after the accident, he inspected the fuel tanks and found them dry. The operator reported that their examination of the airplane after the accident did not reveal any mechanical malfunction.
Factual narrative
The commercial certificated pilot was conducting agricultural spraying under Title 14, CFR Part 137, in a turbine-powered airplane, and had been refueling throughout the day at a local airport. The pilot reported that he and his ground crew kept a log of spray loads, flight time, and the quantity of fuel that was added upon each return to the airport. The pilot indicated that each refueling usually required about 70 gallons, and the airplane's fuel capacity was 104 gallons. He said that while spraying over an area of pine trees about 800 feet above ground level (agl), the engine lost power. He made a forced landing in an area of cut trees, and the airplane received structural damage to the landing gear, fuselage, and wings. The pilot said that after the accident, he inspected the fuel tanks and found them dry. The operator reported that their examination of the airplane after the accident did not reveal any mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5596X
- Reported as
- Rockwell International S-2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5095R
- Engine
- Walter 601-11, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Croom Aviation
- Registered owner
- Croom Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- 40J · Perry, FL
- Airport
- 40J · Perry-Foley
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 17,134 total · 1,067 in this make and model · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5596X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.