- Date
- July 1, 2000, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Belzoni, MS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N53208Cessna A188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20000701013309A
- Case key
- 49583
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 pilot's failure to refuel prior to departure resulting in loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
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 pilot stated he landed to refuel and reload chemical. While the chemicals were being loaded, he was distracted by talking to the customer he was spraying for. He forgot to refuel. At takeoff, the left fuel gauge showed empty and the right fuel gauge showed 1/4 to 1/2. After flying to the field, 4 miles from the airport, and making two swath runs, the engine surged. He turned toward the field for a landing and the engine regained power, surged again, and quit. He made a pancaked landing in the field. Postcrash examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector showed the airplane contained no usable fuel.
Factual narrative
On July 1, 2000, about 1600 central daylight time, a Cessna A188B, N53208, registered to and operated by CPS Flying Service, Inc., crashed while making a forced landing following loss of engine power, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the commercial-rated pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Belzoni, Mississippi, the same day, about 1550.
The pilot stated he landed at 1540, after an aerial application flight to reload chemicals and refuel the aircraft. He parked at the loading area and as the chemicals were being loaded, he talked with the customer about what fields were to be sprayed next. After chemical loading was finished he taxied for takeoff, without realizing that he had not refueled the aircraft. At takeoff, the left fuel tank gauge showed empty and the right fuel tank gauge showed 1/4 to 1/2 full. He departed about 1550. After arriving over the field, which was about 4 miles from the airport, he completed two swath runs. As he pulled up out of the field on the third swath run, the engine surged. He turned to the left to set up for a landing in the field. The engine regained power and then surged and quit. The aircraft pancaked into the field and the landing gear folded. The aircraft slid about 100 feet and came to rest.
Postcrash examination of the aircraft by an FAA inspector showed the aircraft's fuel tanks contained no usable fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53208
- Reported as
- Cessna A188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18801685
- Airframe hours
- 3,472
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Cps Flying Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 10, 2000 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- 1M2 · Belzoni, MS
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
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GWO, 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.