- Date
- October 5, 1993, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rogersville, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N42402Cessna T188C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 17, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931005037709A
- Case key
- 3316
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
Was the pilot's inadequate pre-flight preparation which resulted in fuel exhaustion during take off.
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
After take off, the engine quit and a forced landing was made in a wooded terrain. The wreckage and accident site were examined which revealed that residual fuel remained in the fuel line between the fuel pump and the fuel injector. Less than one ounce of fuel was found in the gascolator, and the fuel selector was found in the 'on' position. The left wing had separated from the fueselage which pulled the fuel line from the tank; however, no evidence of fuel spillage was found on the ground.
Factual narrative
On October 5, 1993, at about 1000 central daylight time, a Cessna T188C, N42402, collided with the ground, following a loss of engine power, immediately after departure from Thorntown Airstrip at Rogersville, Alabama. The airplane was operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 137 and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the aerial application flight. There were no injuries to the commercial pilot, while the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot reported that the engine quit immediately after take off. He dumped the chemical and landed the airplane in a field which resulted in substantial damage.
An airworthiness inspector from the Alabama Flight Standards District Office, Birmingham, Alabama, examined the wreckage. He reported that only residual fuel was found in the airplane, and that there was no evidence of spilled fuel at the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42402
- Reported as
- Cessna T188C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T18803700T
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-T, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Thornton, Buster L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- NONE
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 4,731 total · 2,400 in this make and model · 4,731 as pilot in command · 196 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSL, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.