- Date
- December 16, 2008, 10:08 local (18:08 UTC)
- Place
- Dinuba, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1035FAir Tractor AT-502
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 29, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20081216852519A
- Case key
- 73131
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 failure of maintenance personnel to properly install the engine's Py line correctly, which resulted in the total loss of engine power and subsequent force landing. Contributing to the accident was the lack of suitable terrain.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that about halfway through the first spray pass he experienced a complete loss of engine power. The pilot stated that he pulled up out of the field, dumped the load, and chose to land straight ahead in an adjoining field. The pilot reported that after touching down and holding the stick back the tail started lifting. Before it stopped, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness aviation safety inspector conducted a post accident examination of the airplane. The airplane's most recent annual inspection had been completed the day prior to the accident. The FAA inspector found the engine's Py line had not been secured properly, which would have prevented proper fuel scheduling to the engine's fuel control unit. The inspector also reported that the outboard leading edge of the left wing tip had sustained substantial damage, which would have adversely affected the flight characteristics of the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that about halfway through the first spray pass he experienced a complete loss of engine power. The pilot stated that he pulled up out of the field, dumped the load, and chose to land straight ahead in an adjoining field. The pilot reported that after touching down and holding the stick back the tail started lifting. Before it stopped, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness aviation safety inspector conducted a post accident examination of the airplane. The airplane's most recent annual inspection had been completed the day prior to the accident. The FAA inspector found the engine's Py line had not been secured properly, which would have prevented proper fuel scheduling to the engine's fuel control unit. The inspector also reported that the outboard leading edge of the left wing tip had sustained substantial damage, which would have adversely affected the flight characteristics of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1035F
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502-0081
- Airframe hours
- 9,990.2
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Gilbert Aviation Industries INC
- Registered owner
- Gilbert Aviation Industries INC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 15, 2008 · 0.3 hours before
- Departed
- D86 · Visalia, CA
- Destination
- D86 · Visalia, CA
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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 21, 2008
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 1,752 total · 434 in this make and model · 1,642 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- VIS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.