- Date
- July 6, 1998, 09:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Okeechobee, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N10349Air Tractor AT-502
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 31, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980706021149A
- Case key
- 38538
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
the pilot's improper planning/decision, by failing to ensure the aircraft contained adequate fuel to complete the flight, which led to fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. Obstructions (trees and guardrail) in the emergency landing area were related factors.
Analysis
The pilot stated that while returning to the departure strip after aerial application of chemicals, the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. While landing on a road, the aircraft collided with a tree and a guardrail.
Factual narrative
On July 6, 1998, about 0900 eastern daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502, N10349, registered to Air Crop Care, Inc., collided with trees while making a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Okeechobee, Florida, 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 Okeechobee, Florida, the same day, about 0800.
The pilot stated he was returning to a grass strip from which he was operating after completing his second spray operation of the day. The engine failed due to fuel exhaustion and as he was landing on a road, the left wing collided with a tree. The aircraft spun to the left and collided with a guard rail.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N10349
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502-0079
- Airframe hours
- 5,352
- Engine
- P&W PT6-15AG, 715 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Air Crop Care, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 5, 1998 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- FL
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,994 total · 340 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PGD, 80 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.