Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A accident near Clewiston, Florida, July 8, 1997
On July 8, 1997 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A, registered N82019, was destroyed in an accident near Clewiston, Florida. 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
a forced landing as a result of an undetermined loss of engine power and subsequent impact with a railroad switching unit and nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1997 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Clewiston, Florida · 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
- N82019 · no longer on the register · serial 1Z026-03
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed from a section of road which was about 3,000 feet long. At an altitude of about 50 feet above the ground, in a left turn to the crosswind, the pilot reported that the airplane's engine lost power, and was running rough. A forced landing was made to a sugar cane field. The pilot maneuvered the airplane and touched down in the sugar cane field, the propeller struck a railroad switching unit, crossed over an irrigation canal, struck the bank of the canal with the tail wheel, nosed over, and a postcrash fire ensued. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the post crash fire melted the accessory case of the engine, post-crash testing of the engine was not possible. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wsk Pzl Kalis ASZ-62IR-M-18 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Air Crop Care
The flight
- Departed from: X10 Belle Glade FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from PBI, 47 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.