Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A N178RA
23 August 1997 · Coopersville, Michigan, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 23 August 1997 at about 14:45 local time, a Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A registered N178RA was involved in an accident near Coopersville, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Coopersville, Michigan, United States
- Coordinates
- 43.0592, -85.9296
- Aircraft
- Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A
- Registration
- N178RA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Nunica → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI97LA267
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
the pilot inadequate fuel system management which led to a fuel starvation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Following an agricultural flight, the pilot noticed that the right fuel tank was reading under 1/8 full and the left fuel tank was 1/4 full. The pilot opened the overflow valve and slipped the airplane to balance the fuel levels. The pilot did this maneuver twice and the fuel gauge indicated 1/8 full in both tanks. The pilot said that the fuel pressure was then lost and a total power loss occurred. He tried the regain fuel pressure by using the wobble pump but could not restart the engine. The airplane was moved and disassembled by the owner before the fuel tanks could be inspected. The owner said that the airplane manufacturer said fuel feed problems are caused by an air leak in the cover plates on the fuel tanks. The pilot did not dump his chemical load following the loss of engine power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun 1997 | Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A | Waldenburg, Arkansas, United States | Leon E. Jacobi | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 1997 | Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A | Clewiston, Florida, United States | Air Crop Care | No injuries | - |
| 27 Oct 1997 | Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A | Roanoke, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 May 1998 | Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A | Dawson, North Dakota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 1996 | Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A | Hughes, Louisiana, United States | Roberto Caiano | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Jul 1996 | Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A | McGehee, Arkansas, United States | Wilson Flying Service | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jun 1997 | Cessna 172P | Fowlerville, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 1997 | Dietrich NIEUPORT 12 | Byron, Michigan, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1997 | Cessna 170B | Karlin, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-18 | Middleville, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 7 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-17 | Cadillac, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-34-200 | MacKinac Island, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |