N4896X

On August 16, 1999, at 1544 central daylight time, a Rockwell International S-2R agricultural airplane, N4896X, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power while maneuvering near Dermott, Arkansas. The airline transport rated pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by Winchester Flying Service, Inc., of Monticello, Arkansas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 137 local aerial application flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from the Billy Free Municipal Airport, near Dumas, Arkansas, at 1346.

The operator stated that the purpose of the aerial application flight was to spray local fields in southeastern Arkansas, as part of a federally funded boll weevil eradication program. The operator added that he purchased the airplane to satisfy the needs of the contract about a month prior to the accident, obtaining his FAA Part 137 certificate 10 days prior to the accident.

The pilot, who had accumulated in excess of 8,600 flight hours in the same make and model airplane, stated that during the third flight of the day, the airplane was in level flight dispensing chemicals over a cotton field, approximately 5 feet above the crops when, without warning, the engine lost power. The pilot stated that as the airplane decelerated, he climbed to 20 to 30 feet above the ground to consider his options for the forced landing.

The pilot elected to execute a forced landing to a "turn row" adjacent to a matured cotton field, which curved to the right. The pilot maneuvered the airplane so that the right main landing gear tire contacted the ground as he banked the airplane in an attempt to follow the turn row. While banking, the airplane's spray boom assembly tangled with the cotton plants, resulting in a loss of directional control.

Examination of the airplane by the FAA inspector, who traveled to the accident site, revealed that the fuselage sustained structural damage, the left wing was buckled upward near midspan, and the left main landing gear collapsed. Ground scars revealed that the airplane slid for approximately 300 yards prior to coming to a stop in the upright position. There was no fire, and neither fuel nor chemicals were spilled.

The pilot reported that after the airplane slid to a stop, the engine continued to operate at idle rpm; however, the rpm would not advance beyond 1,100 rpm. The pilot added that he suspected that the loss of engine power on the Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN1 engine "was the result of the failure of the engine blower."