- Date
- March 15, 1996, 09:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Texarkana, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4540CAir Tractor AT-502
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960315004319A
- Case key
- 19784
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. 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
During an application run the engine lost power. The pilot reported that there was 'not enough field left to land' and that the aircraft could not make it over the trees at the end of the field. The aircraft impacted the trees and came to a stop in a small field. Examination of the fuel system revealed a foreign substance in the main fuel filter. The fuel tank sump drain was leaking fuel and fuel was found in all fuel lines and the fuel control. A postaccident examination and teardown of the engine was completed on 4/4/96, and no anomalies were found that would prevent normal engine operation.
Factual narrative
On March 15, 1996, at 0950 central standard time, an Air Tractor AT-502, N4540C, operated by Garland Aviation, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Texarkana, Arkansas. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight.
In an interview with the Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot reported that the engine lost power during an application run. He further reported that there was "not enough field left to land" and that the aircraft could not make it over the trees at the end of the field. The aircraft impacted the trees and came to a stop in a small field.
Examination of the aircraft by the FAA inspector revealed that the left wing was structurally damaged and the right wing was separated from the fuselage. Examination of the fuel system revealed a foreign substance in the main fuel filter. The fuel tank sump drain was leaking fuel and fuel was found in all fuel lines and the fuel control.
A post accident examination and teardown of the engine was completed on April 4, 1996. No anomalies were found that would prevent normal engine operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4540C
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502-0119
- Airframe hours
- 2,850
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-15AG, 680 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Ronny J. Rogers
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1995 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- Homan, AR
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 13,500 total · 450 in this make and model · 13,500 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 63 °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 N4540C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.