Pilot Debrief

AIR TRACTOR INC AT 802 near Gould, AR — 2013-08-28

Final reportCEN13LA568
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Date
2013-08-28
Location
Gould, AR, USA
Aircraft
AIR TRACTOR INC AT 802
Registration
N9119B
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The failure of a bearing in the fuel control unit, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.

NTSB narrative

A total loss of airplane engine power occurred shortly after the pilot took off for the aerial application flight. The pilot made a forced landing in a corn field, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed a bearing inside the fuel control unit had failed, which resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. The fuel control unit was overhauled 928 hours before the accident. The manufacturer's recommended time between overhauls for the fuel control unit is 3,500 hours.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked engine performance before takeoff.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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