Narrative:

While returning to base after spraying; I experienced an engine flame-out. Igniters and boost pump did not provide a re-light; so I quickly prepared for a forced landing. Unable to glide to a desirable road; I was left with landing in a corn field. Fortunately; I was not injured; and the aircraft was not damaged. It was soon discovered that fuel exhaustion was the cause of the flame out. Before each load; part of the loading process is to fuel the aircraft. When performing numerous loads during the busy season; a loader and assistants are tasked with loading the chemical; cleaning the windscreen; and fueling the aircraft utilizing single-point (bottom-load). When work load permits; or when short staffed; I would assist the ground crew in these tasks. This particular day; the loader had no help; so I was helping quite often. During the loading process before the engine flame-out; I had to go into the office to call a farmer about an irrigation pivot being turned off so I could spray his field. When I returned to the hangar; both the chemical load hose and the single-point fuel hose had been disconnected. The loader and I discussed stopping for a lunch break after this load; then I gave him the thumbs up and asked; 'good to go?' he replied; 'good to go!' obviously; I was not 'good to go.' when he and I discussed this later; he told me that he thought I had fueled the aircraft; since I had performed that task twice earlier in the day. Obviously; I thought he had fueled the aircraft since he disconnected the hose. A contributing factor was that this particular aircraft was not the one I normally fly. The aircraft I normally fly is equipped with an mvp flat panel instrument display that includes fuel quantity; displayed both digitally and in a 'tape' format. The mvp additionally provides audible warning when the fuel level reaches a pre-programmed level. The aircraft in which the incident occurred was equipped with traditional round-dial gauges; not the mvp flat panel display I was accustomed to. Nor is it equipped with the audible warning I am accustomed to. In the future; during the loading process; I will remove a fuel cap and visually verify the fuel level. If I remain in the cockpit; I will have the loader or an assistant 'stick the tank' and show me the stick so I can visually verify the fuel level. Also; we have modified our loading procedure: whoever disconnects and stows the fuel hose; must verify the aircraft was fueled and the fuel caps are secured properly. The fuel hose may not be disconnected until those tasks are performed first. Also; instead of performing the takeoff checklist during taxi; I will now perform it while stopped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An AT-502 crop duster flamed out at 500 FT because the ground crew member failed to add fuel to the aircraft while loading chemicals.

Narrative: While returning to base after spraying; I experienced an engine flame-out. Igniters and boost pump did not provide a re-light; so I quickly prepared for a forced landing. Unable to glide to a desirable road; I was left with landing in a corn field. Fortunately; I was not injured; and the aircraft was not damaged. It was soon discovered that fuel exhaustion was the cause of the flame out. Before each load; part of the loading process is to fuel the aircraft. When performing numerous loads during the busy season; a loader and assistants are tasked with loading the chemical; cleaning the windscreen; and fueling the aircraft utilizing single-point (bottom-load). When work load permits; or when short staffed; I would assist the ground crew in these tasks. This particular day; the loader had no help; so I was helping quite often. During the loading process before the engine flame-out; I had to go into the office to call a farmer about an irrigation pivot being turned off so I could spray his field. When I returned to the hangar; both the chemical load hose and the single-point fuel hose had been disconnected. The loader and I discussed stopping for a lunch break after this load; then I gave him the thumbs up and asked; 'Good to go?' He replied; 'Good to go!' Obviously; I was not 'Good to go.' When he and I discussed this later; he told me that he thought I had fueled the aircraft; since I had performed that task twice earlier in the day. Obviously; I thought he had fueled the aircraft since he disconnected the hose. A contributing factor was that this particular aircraft was not the one I normally fly. The aircraft I normally fly is equipped with an MVP flat panel instrument display that includes fuel quantity; displayed both digitally and in a 'tape' format. The MVP additionally provides audible warning when the fuel level reaches a pre-programmed level. The aircraft in which the incident occurred was equipped with traditional round-dial gauges; not the MVP flat panel display I was accustomed to. Nor is it equipped with the audible warning I am accustomed to. In the future; during the loading process; I will remove a fuel cap and visually verify the fuel level. If I remain in the cockpit; I will have the loader or an assistant 'stick the tank' and show me the stick so I can visually verify the fuel level. Also; we have modified our loading procedure: Whoever disconnects and stows the fuel hose; must verify the aircraft was fueled and the fuel caps are secured properly. The fuel hose may not be disconnected until those tasks are performed first. Also; instead of performing the takeoff checklist during taxi; I will now perform it while stopped.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.