Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A accident near Macedonia, South Carolina, February 23, 2005
On February 23, 2005 at about 10:19 pm local time, a Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A, registered N2296Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Macedonia, South Carolina (Berkeley County airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue cracking of the planetary gear housing, which resulted in the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 2005 · about 10:19 pm local time
- Place
- Macedonia, South Carolina · Berkeley County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A
- Registration
- N2296Y · no longer on the register · serial 1Z018-27
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While approaching Moncks Corner Airport to land, the airplane's engine seized and the pilot was forced to land on tree tops about 400 feet from the runway. Post-accident examination of the engine assembly revealed four fatigue cracks on the planetary carrier housing that propagated outboard and caused the housing to fracture into multiple pieces. The teeth around the sun gear in the area that corresponds to the planetary gears were fractured and exhibited deformation. The teeth of the planetary gears showed deformation. The splined lock was examined and exhibited fretting damage. The width of the fretting/galling damage on the four flat surfaces was wider compared to the thickness of the mating square slot on the cap, consistent with lateral movement between the splined lock and cap. All spine teeth on the splined lock showed deformation. Dimensional inspection of the gears were performed on the engine approximately 98 hours prior to the accident. At that time, a new sun gear was installed in the engine. The mating four planetary gears were not replaced and not required to be replaced. Uneven wear between gear faces caused stresses to be distributed unevenly between the gears, resulting in accelerated wear of the gears. Wear of the planetary gears are required to be evaluated when the engine is overhauled, but there is no record of a recent engine overhaul.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,500 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days; 120 in the last 30 days; 13,000 as pilot in command; 15,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,470.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2004; 98 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ama/Expr TPE331-10UA (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 50J Moncks Corner SC
- Destination: 50J Moncks Corner SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 900 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 11:21 pm from CHS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N2296Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.