FORT RANSOM, ND, USA
N4232X
Rockwell S-2R
The pilot said that he had just completed spaying a bean field and was flying back to the airport when the airplane 'ran out of fuel.' Examination of the airplane's fuel system revealed a total of 2 ounces of fuel in the left tank, and approximately 1 pint of fuel in the right tank.
On July 7, 1998, at 0730 central daylight time (cdt), a Rockwell International S-2R, N4232X, operated by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when during cruise flight the airplane's engine lost power. During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane struck a fence. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aerial application flight was being conducted under 14 CFR part 137. There was no flight plan on file. The pilot reported no injuries. The local flight originated at Oakes, North Dakota, at 0645 cdt. In his written statement, the pilot said that he had just completed spaying a bean field and was flying back to the airport when the airplane "ran out of fuel." A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane at the accident site. The airplane was resting upright in a field, just beyond a barbed wire fence, 5 miles southwest of Fort Ransom, North Dakota. The airplane's right wing showed a 6 inch wide tear in the bottom wing skin, beginning five feet inboard of the wingtip, at mid-chord, and running aft to the trailing edge. The right aileron's bottom skin also was torn open. The left wing was buckled at the wing tip. The forward spar was bent aft and slightly upward. The bottom wing skin showed two 6 inch wide tears, one 6 feet inboard, and the other 8 feet inboard of the wing tip, beginning at mid-chord, and running aft to the trailing edge. The left aileron showed a 6 inch wide gash in its bottom skin surface. The metal tubing at the empennage was bent downward and left. The tail wheel was bent to the left. One propeller blade was bent aft. The other blade was normal. Flight control continuity was confirmed. No anomalies were found with the engine, engine controls, or other airplane systems. Examination of the airplane's fuel system revealed a total of 2 ounces of fuel in the left tank, and approximately 1 pint of fuel in the right tank.
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Factors contributing to this accident were the pilot's failure to ensure the airplane had enough fuel to complete the flight, and the fence.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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