Air Tractor Inc AT-602 N51037 accident near Ruleville, Mississippi

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and in-flight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB analysis

The pilot departed on an aerial application flight with an estimated 53 gallons of fuel. He had not reset the fuel totalizer before departure. He made numerous passes over a 100-acre field spraying fertilizer during the 30 minute flight. After his last pass, the pilot noticed a fuel flow fluctuation. The engine subsequently lost power at an altitude of 75 to 100 feet above the ground, and the pilot made a forced landing. He pulled the airplane off the ground again briefly to clear an obstruction; however, when the airplane touched down again, the left main landing gear sank into soft ground and sheared off. The airplane rotated to the right onto its nose, and the left wing sustained structural damage. Postaccident examination revealed that the left and right main fuel caps had a tight seal and there was no evidence of streaking or venting of fuel on the airplane or on the ground. The left, right, header, and purge fuel tanks were drained and yielded about 34 total ounces of fuel—two ounces from the right fuel tank and 32 ounces from the header tank. The left and purge tanks contained no fuel. No preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were found that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA12CA275 for the full record.