Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Soledad, California 93960
Tuesady, September 27, 1988 10:00 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER DETECTING SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT HE TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL SWITCHES AND MADE ONE MORE SPRAY PASS. AFTER THE PASS, SMOKE BECAME VISIBLE FROM THE ENGINE AND PART OF THE COWL SEPARATED. THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LNDG IN A DRY RIVER BED AND EXITED ACFT. POST-LNDG FIRE CONSUMED ACFT, CAUSE OF POWER LOSS UNDETERMINED DUE TO FIRE DAMAGE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/27/1988
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1000
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City SOLEDAD
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93960
Event Date Year 1988
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 800 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 305
Weather Observation Facility ID SNS
Elevation of weather observation facility 84
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 18
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
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) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 20
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 290
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 8
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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 FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1896
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 27 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1027
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38143
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:08PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1265W
NTSB Number LAX88DVM04
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 137: Agricultural
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire In-flight
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name WEATHERLY
Aircraft Model 201B
Aircraft Series Identifier 201B
Aircraft Serial Number 619
Certified Max Gross Weight 4800
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 Feb 2 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 138
Airframe Hours 3384
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name KENNETH C CRONE
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 2782
Aircraft Owner City GREENFIELD
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 93927
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name CROP FLIGHT, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address METZ AIRPORT
Operator City GREENFIELD
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 93927
Operator Code LSRG
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
Departure City SOLEDAD
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1000
Departure Time Zone PDT
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 Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --