Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pearisburg, Virginia 24134
Thursday, June 26, 2003 9:52 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The Air Tractor was spreading chemical when the pilot observed orange flames and black smoke emitting from the engine exhausts. The engine lost power, he feathered the propeller, and set up for a forced landing in a nearby open field. The airplane touched down, rolled a short distance, and struck embedded rock. The landing gear collapsed, the fuselage was wrinkled, and the propeller separated from the engine. Examination of the PWC PT6A-20 engine revealed several compressor turbine blades had fractured and been released into the engine gas path. The blades also impacted adjacent and downstream components. The compressor turbine blades used in the engine were not approved by PWC; however, they were PMA manufactured with FAA approval. Since engine overhaul, the engine had accumulated 10,978.8 hours and 15,059 cycles. According to the FAA, the PWC recommended overhaul time of 3,600 hours. The airplane was being operated on a USDA Forest Service contact that required the engine to have been overhauled within the manufacturer's specifications. The engine's time since overhaul was not discovered by the Forest Service when they accepted the airplane for use on their contract.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A compressor turbine blade fracture which resulted in a power loss, and forced landing. Factor were the rocks in the landing area, and the operator's decision to operate the engine beyond the engine manufacturer's recommendations for overhaul.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/26/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 952 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Pearisburg |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 24134 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 371537N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0804826W |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 952 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 283 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BLF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2857 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 19 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.18 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 4238 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16161 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Charleston, WV, FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 27 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 22 2014 2:40PM |
| User who most recently changed record | seak |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Charleston, West Virginia |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4506L |
| NTSB Number | NYC03TA138 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AIR TRACTOR |
| Aircraft Model | 402A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 402A-0749 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6000 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 15 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 63 |
| Airframe Hours | 4831 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Bill Taylor Farm Air Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. Box 476 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Fairfield |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 62837 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | USDA/Forest Service |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 8901 Grand Avenue Place |
| Operator City | Duluth |
| Operator State | MN |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 55808 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PSK |
| Departure City | Dublin |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 749 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | PSK |
| Destination City | Dublin |
| Destination State | VA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering - turn to reverse direction |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 22 2014 3:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | seak |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |