Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jerome, Idaho 83338
Thursday, May 27, 1999 8:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot departed the airport, with approximately 75 gallons of fuel on board, and flew approximately 19 miles to the spray location. Approximately 45 minutes into the flight, the pilot noticed the fuel quantity gauge indication was decreasing at a higher than normal rate, and he elected to return to the airport. Eight miles from the airport, the aircraft began to lose power and the pilot elected to initiate a forced landing in an open field. During the landing roll, the aircraft struck a lava bed, causing substantial damage to the aircraft. An FAA inspector inspected the aircraft and reported that there was no evidence of fuel in the aircraft's fuel tanks. He also stated there was no evidence of a preexisting fuel leak. Post-accident inspection of the aircraft's carburetor revealed that the mixture control back-suction bleed tube in the carburetor bowl assembly was plugged. According to the certificate holder of the carburetor, a blockage of the mixture control back-suction bleed tube would result in a rich mixture situation. Normal fuel consumption for this aircraft is 32 gallons to 35 gallons per hour.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Fuel exhaustion. Carburetor contamination and rough terrain were factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/27/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 830 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | JEROME |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83338 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| 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 | 1035 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | JER |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4048 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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) | 1002 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 27 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1142 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 10:18AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6024M |
| NTSB Number | SEA99LA075 |
| 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 | Air Tractor |
| Aircraft Model | AT-401 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AT-401 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 401-0949 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7860 |
| 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 2 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 289 |
| Airframe Hours | 1790 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WEST ONE BANK IDAHO |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | LEASING DEPT P.O. BOX 8247 |
| Aircraft Owner City | BOISE |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83733 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SPRAY CRAFT |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 423 WEST ROAD |
| Operator City | JEROME |
| Operator State | ID |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 83338 |
| Operator Code | BOBG |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | U73 |
| Departure City | JEROME |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 725 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| 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 | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 12:27PM |
| 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 | -- |