- Date
- July 6, 2010, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Garfield, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8878SAir Tractor AT-301
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 76548
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 due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 2
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 stated to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he ran out of fuel while spraying crops and initiated a forced landing to a field. The pilot said that he landed hard and the engine separated from the airframe. The airplane’s fuselage and wing were substantially damaged. Despite numerous attempts to contact the pilot, at the time this report was written, the pilot has not responded to the NTSB investigator-in-charge or submitted a completed NTSB pilot/operator 6120.1 form.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported to the Federal Aviation Administration that he ran out of fuel while spraying crops and initiated a forced landing into a field. The pilot stated that he landed hard and the engine was separated from the airframe and subsequently broke in half. The airplane’s fuselage and wing were substantially damaged. Despite numerous attempts to contact the pilot, at the time this report was written, the pilot has not responded to the NTSB investigator-in-charge or submitted a completed NTSB pilot/operator 6120.1 form.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8878S
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301-0225
- Engine
- P&W R1340 SERIES, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- S & E Mader Inc
- Registered owner
- S & E Mader Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Departed
- Garfield, WA
- Destination
- Garfield, WA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 68
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 10,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KPUW
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 16, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 21 KB in all.
Other investigations on N8878S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.