- Date
- August 16, 2004, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Heth, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9314JCessna T188C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20040816023489A
- Case key
- 59922
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 for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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 5,002-hour pilot reported that as he advanced the throttle to increase engine power while on final approach for landing, "none was available." The airplane settled within tall grass just short of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane rolled into a 10-15 foot deep gulley and came to rest upright. No anomalies were noted during the examination of the airframe. The engine was successfully run and was found to be free of anomalies. The reason for the loss of engine power was undetermined.
Factual narrative
On August 16, 2004, approximately 1615 central daylight time, a Cessna T188C, single-engine tailwheel-equipped agricultural airplane, N9314J, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power while landing at a private airstrip near Heth, Arkansas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Hutcherson Flying Service, Inc., of Forrest City, Arkansas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The local flight originated from the private airstrip at 1424.
The 5,002-hour pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), that as he advanced the throttle to increase engine power while on final approach for landing, "none was available." The airplane settled within tall grass just short of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane rolled into a 10-15 foot deep gulley and came to rest upright.
Examination of the airplane by an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the accident site, revealed the engine firewall was bent, and both wings were structurally damaged.
According to the aircraft's maintenance logbooks, the airplane had accumulated approximately 116 hours since the last 100-hour inspection on July 2, 2004. At that time, the airframe total time was 4,149 hours.
On January 19, 2005, at the facilities of Dawson Aircraft Inc., near Clinton, Arkansas, under supervision of an FAA inspector, the Continental TSIO-520-T engine was successfully started and run for approximately ten minutes. No anomalies were noted during the engine run.
The reason for the loss of engine power was undetermined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9314J
- Reported as
- Cessna T188C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T18803794T
- Airframe hours
- 4,149
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-T, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Hutcherson Flying Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 2, 2004 · 116 hours before
- Departed
- Heth, AR
- Airport
- Heth Airstrip
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
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- December 15, 2002
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 966 total · 966 in this make and model · 4,967 as pilot in command · 230 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- AWM, 25 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.