- Date
- May 21, 2022, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sacramento, CA · Scheidel Ranch Airport CA07
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8521VAir Tractor AT-602
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20220521021849A
- Case key
- 107076
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 inadequate fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
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 reported that, during an aerial application flight, the engine lost total power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful and was forced to land in a dry plowed field. The left wing was substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right-side fuel tank was almost empty, and the left side fuel tank contained approximately 15 gallons of fuel. The Airplane Flight Manual for the airplane states that skidding turns below ½ tanks can transfer fuel from one tank to another, which will lead to engine flameout if one tank runs dry. Subsequently, the pilot stated that he should have completed a better visual inspection of the contents of both fuel tanks before takeoff. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8521V
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-602
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 602-0690
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 7,937
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A, 1,050 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Farm Air Flying Service LLC
- Registered owner
- Farm Air Flying Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 19, 2022
- Departed
- CA07 · Pleasant Grove, CA
- Airport
- CA07 · Scheidel Ranch Airport
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 3, 2021
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 31,200 total · 632 in this make and model · 31,200 as pilot in command · 145 in the last 90 days · 145 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KSMF, 9 nm away
- METAR
- KSMF 212153Z 29007KT 240V320 10SM BKN250 30/M08 A2987
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.