Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Southeastern Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fort Pierce, Florida 34945
Thursday, September 18, 2003 9:05 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot aborted the takeoff when heard a loud explosion shortly after lift off. The airplane overran the runway, and collided with trees. The examination of the aircraft revealed the compressor turbine disk exhibited two blades fractured near the platform, the remaining blades exhibiting severe impact damage. Fatigue was observed on the fracture surfaces of the two blades which had fractured near the platform. Corrosion was observed on the side of the compressor turbine blade platforms from these two fractured blades.. The corroded platform area of the compressor turbine blades contained foreign elements mostly composed of phosphate and lead oxide. The corrosion observed had caused a volume change which closed the required gap between blade platforms. According to Pratt and Whitney personnel this would have an adverse effect on the blade airfoils by altering the natural vibration frequency of the blades. Pratt and Whitney personnel concluded that the distress of the compressor turbine disk was initiated by the fracture of one blade in fatigue from multiple origins. The fatigue fracture of the compressor turbine blades likely resulted from a loss of gap between the blade and platforms as a result of the observed corrosion.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Failure of one blade in the engine compressor turbine disk due to fatigue which was caused by loss of gap between the blade platforms as a result of corrosion due to a foreign element (phosphate). This resulted in loss of engine power during takeoff and overrun of the runway and collision with trees during the subsequent aborted takeoff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/18/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 905 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Fort Pierce |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 34945 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 272441N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0803134W |
| Event Location Airport | Southeastern Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FD30 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | 22 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 853 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 75 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KFPR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 23 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| 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) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.92 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1515 |
| 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) | 17785 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 18 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1131 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 8 2005 12:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Orlando, Florida |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1528T |
| NTSB Number | MIA03LA183 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Air Tractor |
| Aircraft Model | AT-502 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 502-0160 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 8000 |
| 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 | Aug 1 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 89.6 |
| Airframe Hours | 6269.8 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SOUTHEASTERN AERIAL CROP SERVICE INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2720 Sneed Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Fort Pierce |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34945 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| 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 | SXNG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | FD30 |
| Departure City | Fort Pierce |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 905 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | FD30 |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - aborted |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 9 |
| Runway Length | 2500 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |