19960807021379A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Scwzer G-164A · Grant, NE · August 7, 1996

Date: August 7, 1996 · 09:19 local
Place: Grant, NE
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: A22G
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8842H
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI96LA281
Reported as: Scwzer G164A
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R985*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,473 total2,000 in this make and model374 in the last 90 days

N8842HRegistration cancelled Aug 28, 2017 · Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164AS/N 1537 · Built 1975 Airframe modelGrumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A Engine modelPratt & Whitney R-985 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft number 9 cylinder head failed during aerial application, made an emergency landing in a corn field. (.4)the pilot reported he was at an altitude of 41 feet, entering his eighth swath run, when the number nine cylinder 'exploded.' The windscreen became covered with oil. He made a shallow turn to avoid a rotary irrigation system and made a forced landing in a corn field. During the forced landing, the left wing impacted the corn and the landing gear 'started sinking into the mud.' The airplane 'spun around' sustaining substantial damage to the lower wings, fuselage, and left wing support struts. Examination of the airplane revealed the number nine cylinder was fractured between the barrel and the head. Evidence of fatigue cracking was evident around the entire circumference of the head. The major fatigue zones accounted for approximately 25 percent of the fracture surface.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT NUMBER 9 CYLINDER HEAD FAILED DURING AERIAL APPLICATION, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A CORN FIELD. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF 41 FEET, ENTERING HIS EIGHTH SWATH RUN, WHEN THE NUMBER NINE CYLINDER 'EXPLODED.' THE WINDSCREEN BECAME COVERED WITH OIL. HE MADE A SHALLOW TURN TO AVOID A ROTARY IRRIGATION SYSTEM AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A CORN FIELD. DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE LEFT WING IMPACTED THE CORN AND THE LANDING GEAR 'STARTED SINKING INTO THE MUD.' THE AIRPLANE 'SPUN AROUND' SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER WINGS, FUSELAGE, AND LEFT WING SUPPORT STRUTS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE NUMBER NINE CYLINDER WAS FRACTURED BETWEEN THE BARREL AND THE HEAD. EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE CRACKING WAS EVIDENT AROUND THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE HEAD. THE MAJOR FATIGUE ZONES ACCOUNTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 25 PERCENT OF THE FRACTURE SURFACE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI96LA281Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGrant, NEfatigue failure and subsequent catastrophic failure of the number nine cylinder. A factor was the corn.Aug 7, 1996 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8842H · 3

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19910620023769AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Edgar, NEEngine overheated. Landed on a road to check. Wind struck gas meter pipe. A rag was covering the oil cooler.Jun 20, 1991 · Substantial damage Incident 19810601043259INormal Cruise · Ogallala, NEEngine stopped inflight. During maintenance mechanic inadvertently crossed the fuel vent lines.Jun 1, 1981 Accident 19790617012659ALow Level Operations · Moscow, KSStruck wires on pullup from spray run.Jun 17, 1979 · Destroyed