- Date
- September 18, 2008, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Patterson, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N425LSGulfstream-Schweizer A/C Gulfstream
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Fuel contamination
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080918848079A
- Case key
- 68968
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 loss of engine power due to fuel contamination. Contributing to the accident was the unsuitable muddy terrain for the forced landing.
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 had refueled and reloaded chemical and departed the airport en route to his third spray mission of the day when the aircraft lost power. The pilot selected an open field next to the cane field that he intended to spray and set up for his forced landing. When the airplane touched down the wheels sank into the mud and nosed over coming to rest inverted. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and wing struts. The pilot stated in the pilot operator report that water was found in the fuel resupply truck and in the airplane fuel tanks.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot had refueled and reloaded chemical and departed the airport en route to his third spray mission of the day when the aircraft lost power. The pilot selected an open field next to the cane field that he intended to spray and set up for his forced landing. When the airplane touched down the wheels sank into the mud and nosed over coming to rest inverted. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and wing struts. The pilot stated in the pilot operator report that water was found in the fuel resupply truck and in the airplane fuel tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N425LS
- Reported as
- Gulfstream-Schweizer A/C Gulfstream
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 598B
- Engine
- Pratt And Whitney PT6A, 650 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- B & S Flyers Inc, doing business as B & S Flyers Inc
- Registered owner
- B & S Flyers Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- KPTN · Patterson, LA
- Destination
- KPTN · Patterson, LA
- Airport
- KPTN · Harry P Williams Memorial
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 13,500 in this make and model · 14,000 as pilot in command · 450 in the last 90 days · 150 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KPTN
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 N425LS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.