- Date
- August 27, 1994, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wheatley, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N148RAWSK PZL Mielec M-18A Dromader
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 24, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 19148
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
Total loss of engine power due to a cracked cylinder. A 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
Following a total loss of engine power, a forced landing was made to a bean field. During the landing roll, the bean plants piled up in front of the wheel and the airplane nosed over to the inverted position. Structural damage occurred to the left wing, horizontal stabilizer, and rudder. An inspection disclosed that the # 5 cylinder head was cracked. Cause of the crack was undetermined.
Factual narrative
On August 27, 1994, at 1030 central daylight time, a Mielec M-18A Dromader, was substantially damaged while maneuvering near Wheatley, Arkansas. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the aerial application flight.
The pilot reported that while applying sodium chlorate to a rice field the engine lost power. During the landing roll in a bean field the plants piled up in front of the wheels and the airplane nosed over to the inverted position. Structural damaged occurred to the left wing, horizontal stabilizer, and rudder.
Examination of the engine by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector disclosed that the number 5 cylinder head was cracked. The cause of the crack was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N148RA
- Reported as
- WSK PZL Mielec M-18A Dromader (M-18A DROM)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12013-21
- Engine
- Pzl-Warszana ASZ-621R-M18, 986 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Ives Brothers, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 10, 1994
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,113 total · 1,044 in this make and model · 2,113 as pilot in command · 498 in the last 90 days · 200 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
Other investigations on N148RA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.