Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Winona, Mississippi 38967
Tuesady, September 3, 1996 12:30 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The airplane owner/pilot stated that after completion of an aerial application flight, while returning to reload, he noticed smoke in the cockpit, then the engine lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing in a cotton field. During the landing roll, the left main landing gear wheel separated after contact with a depression. Examination of the airplane at the accident site revealed oil on the fuselage and in the engine compartment area. The oil had come from a hole in a flexible hose that was connected to the outlet of the oil cooler. The hole was adjacent to a heat shield. The owner/pilot, who was not an A & P mechanic, had performed repairs to a baffle in the engine compartment area about 2 to 3 weeks before the accident. After the repair, there was insufficient clearance between the flexible oil hose and the heat shield.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

improper maintenance of the airplane by the unqualified pilot/owner, by providing inadequate clearance between a flexible oil hose and a heat shield, which resulted in chafing of the hose, an oil leak, and subsequent oil starvation. A factor relating to the accident was: rough terrain in the emergency landing area.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/3/1996
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1230
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City WINONA
Event State MISSISSIPPI
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 38967
Event Date Year 1996
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1150 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID GWO
Elevation of weather observation facility 162
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 29
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 330
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1238
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 5 1996 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 907
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 10:22AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N53109
NTSB Number MIA96LA225
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 137: Agricultural
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model A188B
Aircraft Series Identifier A188B
Aircraft Serial Number 18801628T
Certified Max Gross Weight 4200
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 14 1996 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 44
Airframe Hours 5372
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JOSEPH C. HARMON JR.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 203 AIRPORT DR.
Aircraft Owner City WINONA
Aircraft Owner State MS
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 38967
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name WINONA FLYING SERVICE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code ZOZG
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Agriculture
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Unknown
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Unknown
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Unknown
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Aerial Application
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Emergency landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --