On August 15, 2023, about 1045 central daylight time, an Air Tractor Inc AT-502, N9082C, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Great Bend, North Dakota. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural flight.
The pilot reported that he had completed an aerial application with the airplane and was in a turn when the engine lost power. The pilot said he advanced the power lever to full but there was no engine response. The pilot attempted a forced landing on a nearby county road. The airplane landed hard on the road surface, bounced back in the air and floated some distance before settling back on the road. The airplane then veered off the road, went through a ditch, and came to rest in an adjacent farm field. The pilot recalled that he heard the engine noise tone and volume change as the airplane slowed. He also remembered seeing the torque needle reducing to near 500 and falling. He said he didn’t see if it eventually reached zero, but it did not increase as he advanced the power lever. At that point his focus was getting the airplane on the ground safely.
In a subsequent statement, the pilot reported that after reviewing speed and altitude data from one of the airplane’s track logs, his recollection of the event didn’t match what the data showed. He stated that, “The log shows no loss of airspeed that would indicate a loss of power before the initial impact with the ground.” He went on to state that he was no longer confident that his original recollection that there was a power loss was accurate. “With this new information it would appear to me that this incident was likely caused by pilot error. It has become evident to me that my memory of the event in that moment are patchy, scrambled, and likely inaccurate.”
The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, engine, and the main landing gear. Both fuel tank gauges showed half full of fuel. A postaccident examination of the airplane showed substantial damage to the left and right tubular clusters where the main landing gear attach.
The airplane’s fuel control unit (FCU) and fuel pump were retained for further examination. An examination of the FCU showed black material in the vicinity of the Py orifice inlet. The manufacturer identified the material as soft debris similar to fluorocarbon and most likely from the packing (O-ring) used on the P3 air inlet fitting. Per the manufacturer, the debris’ size and location did not completely obstruct the inlet and would have allowed for air passage into the FCU, hence not hindering its operability.
A bench test of the fuel control unit and fuel pump showed the unit and pump performed normally. No other preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions were found with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.