- Date
- July 28, 1989, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cartwright, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8246HCallair A-9
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890728029169A
- Case key
- 17755
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
A total loss of power due to an improperly adjusted carburetor which resulted in an excessive rich fuel-air mixture. This required a forced landing in an area where no suitable terrain existed.
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 pilot was spraying thiolux on a field and had just pulled up from swath run when he heard a loud bang and noted engine RPM decay. Ground witnesses also heard the bang and observed dark smoke trailing from the aircraft. The pilot made a forced landing in an alfalfa field. The landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage. A small carburetor fire was also extinguished. The engine and carburetor were partially disassembled. Evidence of an extremely rich mixture, backfire, and carburetor fire was found. All the spark plugs were black. The carburetor was overhauled in 1987 because the engine ran rough and would not develop full power, regardless of mixture control setting. The carburetor had accumulated 300 hours since overhaul.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8246H
- Reported as
- Callair A-9
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1119
- Engine
- Jacobs R-755-A2M, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Air Specialties, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Air Specialties Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 22, 1989 · 157 hours before
- Departed
- SDY · Sidney, MT
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,548 total · 400 in this make and model · 3,433 as pilot in command · 415 in the last 90 days · 103 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
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 N8246H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.