Air Tractor AT 602 N5035R

Summary

On 19 February 2014 at about 23:00 local time, a Air Tractor AT 602 registered N5035R, operated by Richard Flying Service, Inc., was involved in an accident near Church Point, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 February 2014 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Church Point, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.4378, -92.1875

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT 602

Registration

N5035R

Category

Airplane

Year built

1997

Operator

Richard Flying Service, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rayne → Rayne

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA147

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper preflight inspection and in-flight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during an agricultural application flight, the engine began to surge and lose power and that the propeller did not autofeather and appeared to be locked up. He made a forced landing to an open field, and the airplane subsequently collided with trees. The pilot said he thought the airplane had plenty of fuel because he usually flew the airplane for 2 hours as recorded on the Hobbs meter before it needed more fuel but that he had only flown for 0.8 hour since fueling the airplane. However, he later stated that the airplane was starved of fuel and that he should have known the engine fuel burn and the airplane fuel capacity and should have checked the fuel during preflight. No fuel was found in the fuel tanks, no fuel leaks were found, and no fuel was found on the ground. Upon application of electrical power, the fuel gauge read "0," and the "low fuel" annunciator light illuminated. Disassembly and examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have caused the engine to lose power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.