# NTSB CHI05LA088: Air Tractor AT-602, N5015K, Imperial, NE, April 4, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 4, 2005, 10:25 local (16:25 UTC) - Place: Imperial, NE - Coordinates: 40.510276, -101.620002 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5103&lon=-101.6200&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 31, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 61269 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI05LA088 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/61269/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI05LA088 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate preflight planning which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. The soft ground was a factor. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, approach - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - Nose over, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - soft (contributing factor) - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis The aerial application airplane was damaged during a forced landing to a field following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that he had about 40 minutes of fuel remaining when he exited the last sprayed field. He stated that when he was about 1 mile south of the airport, the engine lost power. He checked the fuel flow meter which "suggested" he had over 30 minutes of fuel remaining, with 1/4 in one tank and 1/8 in the other tank. He stated that he executed a landing to a field and the main landing gear sunk into the soft dirt and the airplane nosed over. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed no useable quantity of fuel remaining in the fuel tanks. Subsequent to the accident, the airplane's engine was removed from the airplane and a functional test performed. The engine was run on a test stand and no anomalies were found. ## Factual narrative On April 4, 2005, about 1025 mountain daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-602, N5015K, piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power while on approach to runway 31 at the Imperial Municipal Airport (IML), Imperial, Nebraska. The 14 CFR Part 137 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The local flight originated about 0928. According to a report filed by the pilot, he had completed spray operations at a field located about 12 miles south of IML and was returning. He stated that according to the fuel flow meter he had about 40 minutes of fuel remaining when he exited the last field sprayed. He stated that when he was about 1 mile south of the airport, the engine lost power. He checked the fuel flow meter which "suggested" he had over 30 minutes of fuel remaining with 1/4 in one tank and 1/8 in the other tank. He stated that he executed a landing to a field and the main landing gear sunk into the soft dirt and the airplane nosed over. Post accident examination of the airplane by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors revealed that some fuel had drained from the right wing fuel vent due to the position of the airplane. No other evidence of fuel leakage was detected. When the airplane was righted, no useable quantity of fuel was noted in the fuel tanks. Subsequent to the accident, the airplane's engine was removed from the airplane and a functional test performed. The engine was run on a test stand and no anomalies were found with respect to the engine. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5015K](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5015K), registered now, S/N 602-0429 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Air Tractor AT-602 - Registry model: [Air Tractor AT-602](https://openairdocs.org/model/air-tractor-at-602) (registry code 0390309) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-66-series) (registry code 52118, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 602-0429 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney PT6A 1050 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial application, Part 137 - Operator: Top Hat Aerial Applicators Inc - Registered owner: Top Hat Aerial Applicators, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, November 1, 2004, 4 hours before - Departed: IML, Imperial, NE - Airport: IML, Imperial Muni ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 41; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review September 1, 2003; seat: center; flight hours: 3,301 total, 328 in this make and model, 3,204 as pilot in command, 4 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 280° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 29.62 inHg - Observed at: KIML, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20050404005059A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050404005059A), Apr 4, 2005: Airtrc AT602, Imperial, NE, Substantial damage. (-23) The pilot was finising an aerial application for the day approximately 12 miles southeast of Imperial Municipal Airport. During the final two… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.