Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A accident near Safford, AZ
On March 16, 2004, a Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Safford, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 16, 2004
- Place
- Safford, AZ
- Aircraft
- Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 32.809°N, 109.360°W
- NTSB ID
- 20040330X00400
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 16, 2004, about 0935 mountain standard time, a Wsk PZL Mielec, M-18A, (aka "Dromader") N6259N, collided with terrain following a loss of engine power while maneuvering about 12 nautical miles east-northeast of the Safford Regional Airport, near Safford, Arizona. The commercial certificated pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. During the accident flight, the single-engine air tanker (SEAT) airplane was under the operational control of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). The pilot was a non-government employee of the contractor, and he was the sole occupant in the airplane. The airplane was operated with a restricted category Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness certificate. The purpose of the public-use training flight was to practice a simulated fire retardant drop in a designated area. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a BLM approved flight plan had been filed for the local area flight. Following BLM's supervised training program, at 0815, the pilot began the day's flight operation from Safford by performing an initial mission over a designated area. The pilot completed the mission and returned to Safford to reload for another training mission. Reportedly, the airplane was not refueled because it contained adequate fuel for the next flight. The pilot took off about 0915. According to BLM personnel, once airborne the pilot's destination was changed in accordance with the training syllabus. The
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and at least one ensuing engine power surge, which caused the airplane to pitch up abruptly into a stall at an altitude too low for recovery. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply, his failure to adhere to prescribed flight manual procedures for equalizing the fuel quantity distribution between the fuel tanks, a
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Browse: Arizona · Wsk Pzl Mielec aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
