Private Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Plains, Kansas 67869
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 9:00 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The commercial pilot was repositioning a single-engine agricultural airplane to a private grass strip when the engine lost power while on final approach. The pilot was unable to maintain his altitude so he made a forced landing to the only suitable field available. However, during the roll out he applied the brakes to avoid colliding with a large sprinkler apparatus and flipped over. As a result the vertical stabilizer and the rudder were substantially damaged. Further examination of the radial engine by the operator revealed that the flexible intake hose had come loose and was ingested into the carburetor blocking the throat of the carburetor.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

A loss of engine power as a result of a blocked carburetor. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/26/2008
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 900
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Plains
Event State KANSAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 67869
Event Date Year 2008
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 371522N
Event Location Longitude 1003519W
Event Location Airport Private
Event Location Nearest Airport ID NONE
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0.5
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source --
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID --
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling --
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) --
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator --
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 Docket Number (internal use) 23560
NTSB Notification Source Wichita FSDO
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Apr 30 2008 1:28PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\johb
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Kansas City, Kansas

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4427S
NTSB Number DFW08CA086
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion --
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Air Tractor
Aircraft Model At-301
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 301-0087
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection --
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed --
ELT Activated --
ELT Aided Location of Event Site --
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Shannon L. Dickson
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Plains
Aircraft Owner State KS
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode --
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 --
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) Positioning
Second Pilot on Board --
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code NONE
Departure City Lakin
Departure State KS
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone --
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code NONE
Destination City Plains
Destination State KS
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Apr 25 2008 1:56PM
User who most recently changed record GAMW
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location NA
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --