Wsk Pzl Mielec M18A accident near Hunter, Arkansas, July 28, 1990
On July 28, 1990 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Wsk Pzl Mielec M18A, registered N81699, was destroyed in an accident near Hunter, Arkansas. 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
LOSS OF PART OF THE ENGINE EXHAUST COLLECTOR, AS RESULT OF IMPROPER MAINTENANCE REPLACEMENT/INSTALLATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1990 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hunter, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Wsk Pzl Mielec M18A
- Registration
- N81699 · no longer on the register · serial 12020-11
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE FLYING FROM ONE FIELD TO ANOTHER THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE, AN INCREASE IN FUEL PRESSURE, AND SAW FLAMES COMING OVER THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE. A FORCED LANDING WAS PERFORMED IN A FLOODED RICE FIELD. THE AIRPLANE WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT PART OF THE ENGINE EXHAUST COLLECTOR WAS MISSING. A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING SOMETHING FALL FROM THE AIRPLANE, BUT NOTHING WAS FOUND. THE EXHAUST SEGMENT HAD BEEN REPLACED BY A LOCAL MAINTENANCE FACILITY ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 6,679 hours in all; 256 in this make and model; 190 in the last 90 days; 61 in the last 30 days; 6,629 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 23, 1990; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,260 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pzl-Kalisz ASZ-62IR-M18 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from JBR, 55 miles away
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.
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.