- Date
- October 4, 1996, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Glide, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8957QRockwell S2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961004031099A
- Case key
- 42521
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
failure of the pilot to perform an adequate preflight inspection, which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of power. Factors relating to the accident were: false indications of cockpit fuel gauges and unsuitable terrain for a 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 pilot stated that the airplane ran out of fuel while descending to land after an aerial application. During a subsequent forced landing, the airplane collided with trees and rough terrain, and was substantially damaged. According to the pilot, who was not injured, the right and left fuel quantity gauges read 1/4 and 1/2 full, respectively, just before the accident. The pilot stated that he thought he had about 30 to 40 gallons of fuel in the airplane, because of the cockpit fuel gauge indications. Visual verification of fuel quantity before the flight was not performed.
Factual narrative
On October 4, 1996, about 1630 Pacific daylight time, N8957Q, a Rockwell S2R airplane, operated by Ag Aviation Equipment, Inc., Pond Creek, Oklahoma, collided with trees and terrain during an emergency descent/landing near Glide, Oregon, and was substantially damaged. The emergency descent/landing was precipitated by a total loss of engine power during normal descent. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The aerial application flight was conducted under 14 CFR 137.
According to the operator in a telephone interview with the Safety Board, the pilot ran out of gas while descending to land after an aerial application. During the forced landing, the airplane struck trees and impacted terrain. The right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. The operator reported that the airplane's right and left fuel quantity gages read 1/4 tank and 1/2 tank respectively just prior to the accident.
In a written statement to the Safety Board (attached), the pilot stated that he thought he had about 30 to 40 gallons of fuel in the airplane, because of the cockpit fuel gage indications. Visual verification of fuel quantity prior to the flight was not performed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8957Q
- Reported as
- Rockwell S2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1627R
- Airframe hours
- 6,021
- Engine
- P&W R1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Ag Aviation Equipment, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1996 · 52 hours before
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
- 64
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 6,000 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.