Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's improper use of carburetor heat. The carburetor icing weather condition was a factor.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On June 29, 1994, at 1600 central daylight time, an Air Tractor, AT301, N4349S, registered to, and operated by Richard Ring, dba Ring's Aerial Spraying, Langdon, North Dakota, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Lawton, North Dakota. The pilot stated the engine quit while he was making a turn to enter a spray swath. He said he made a forced landing, on a narrow road and collided with a rock pile. The commercial pilot was not injured. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 137 in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed. The last point of departure was Edmore, North Dakota, at 1530.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
The airplane was removed from the road and taken to the operator's facility where it was examined by an Airworthiness Inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards District Office, Fargo, North Dakota. No abnormal conditions were found during the examination. The temperature and dew point at the time of the accident were 73/53. These values are in the temperature range conducive to carburetor icing. The carburetor heat was in the OFF position.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI94DTG02