Incident Summary
On June 3, 2010, at approximately 1700 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502B single-engine turbo-prop airplane, registration N6083G, was conducting an aerial spraying flight over a rice field near Pollard, Arkansas. While on its third pass spraying fertilizer, the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a corn field. The commercial pilot was not injured. The aircraft was operated by Danny's Air-Agri Service, Incorporated, of Jonesboro, Arkansas, under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on March 9, 2010, at which time he reported 14,510 total flight hours, with 4,215 hours in the same make and model as the accident aircraft.
On-Scene Examination
An FAA inspector examined the aircraft at the scene. The outboard sections of the left and right wings sustained damage, and the empennage was bent approximately 45 degrees to the right. About 30 gallons of aviation gasoline was drained from both wing fuel tanks.
Engine and Component Testing
The aircraft was moved to a secure facility where a representative of Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) examined the engine on the airframe under FAA supervision. All airframe-to-engine connections were intact and secure. The power section and gas generator section rotated freely by hand, and all accessory drives were continuous. External lines, filters, and screens showed no anomalies that could have caused a loss of engine power.
The high-pressure fuel pump, fuel control unit, and propeller governor were removed and functionally tested at PWC's facility in Montreal, Canada, under the supervision of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. No anomalies were found that would have resulted in a loss of engine power.
No probable cause was determined based on the available evidence.