20050721015629A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Scwzer G-164A · Tallulah, LA · July 21, 2005

Date: July 21, 2005 · 16:30 local
Place: Tallulah, LA
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: JOOG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8891H
NTSB investigation: NTSBDFW05CA186
Reported as: Scwzer G164A
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,700 total1,750 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days

N8891HRegistration cancelled Nov 15, 2012 · Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164AS/N 1561 · Built 1975 Airframe modelGrumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A Engine modelPratt & Whitney R1340 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.

(-23) Pilot was conducting aerial application and had just completed second pass and pullup when engine vibration/shudder was felt and engine began to lose power. Pilot initially turned to the south in the direction of nearby landing strip but engine continued to lose power and began smoking. Pilot felt gravel road up ahead was not safe for landing and elected to make a left turn back towards a road behind him which he felt could better accommodate an emergency landing. Engine then lost all power and pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in a cotton field adjacent to the one he had just been spraying. Aircraft made a hard landing in the cotton field on a diagonal track to the cotton field furrows and flipped over on its back. Pilot had chemical insecticide dumped on top of him but was not seriously hurt so unstrapped and egressed from the inverted aircraft. As smell of fuel was strong, pilot ran away from the aircraft to a nearby road but aircraft did not catch on fire.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AERIAL APPLICATION AND HAD JUST COMPLETED SECOND PASS AND PULLUP WHEN ENGINE VIBRATION/SHUDDER WAS FELT AND ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. PILOT INITIALLY TURNED TO THE SOUTH IN THE DIRECTION OF NEARBY LANDING STRIP BUT ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER AND BEGAN SMOKING. PILOT FELT GRAVEL ROAD UP AHEAD WAS NOT SAFE FOR LANDING AND ELECTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN BACK TOWARDS A ROAD BEHIND HIM WHICH HE FELT COULD BETTER ACCOMMODATE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. ENGINE THEN LOST ALL POWER AND PILOT WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A COTTON FIELD ADJACENT TO THE ONE HE HAD JUST BEEN SPRAYING. AIRCRAFT MADE A HARD LANDING IN THE COTTON FIELD ON A DIAGONAL TRACK TO THE COTTON FIELD FURROWS AND FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK. PILOT HAD CHEMICAL INSECTICIDE DUMPED ON TOP OF HIM BUT WAS NOT SERIOUSLY HURT SO UNSTRAPPED AND EGRESSED FROM THE INVERTED AIRCRAFT. AS SMELL OF FUEL WAS STRONG, PILOT RAN AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT TO A NEARBY ROAD BUT AIRCRAFT DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE.

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 DFW05CA186Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportTallulah, LAThe partial loss of engine power as result of the fracture of the number five-cylinder exhaust valve rocker arm mounting boss. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Jul 21, 2005 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8891H · 1

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

Accident 19760817023309AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Lake Providnce, LAAug 17, 1976 · Reported as Gulstm G164C · Substantial damage