- Date
- May 16, 2008, 17:51 local (22:51 UTC)
- Place
- Mumford, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N15420Air Tractor 401-0860
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 68035
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 engine power for undetermined reasons.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The commercial pilot was spraying a field in his single-engine agricultural airplane when the radial engine's chip light detector illuminated followed by a rough running engine and subsequent loss of power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and made a forced landing to a narrow gravel road. As the plane touched down, the right wing contacted the tall rows of corn that lined the narrow road, which caused the airplane to ground loop and enter the corn field. Examination of the airplane revealed it sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, vertical stabilizer, and both wings. The loss of engine power was undetermined.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot was spraying a field in his single-engine agricultural airplane when the radial engine's chip light detector illuminated followed by a rough running engine and subsequent loss of power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and made a forced landing to a narrow gravel road. As the plane touched down, the right wing contacted the tall rows of corn that lined the narrow road, which caused the airplane to ground loop and enter the corn field. Examination of the airplane revealed it sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, vertical stabilizer, and both wings. The loss of engine power was undetermined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15420
- Reported as
- Air Tractor 401-0860
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 401-0860
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-1340 AN-1, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Hopson Putz Dusting, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- NONE · Mumford, TX
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
- 69
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 19,882 total · 5,200 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day