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20100422032509A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Grumman ACF G-164B · Buckeye, AZ · April 22, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 22, 2010 · 09:30 local
Place
Buckeye, AZ
Airport
Burger Strip
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
7CAG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N48455
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR10LA212
Reported as
Grumman ACF G-164B
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney R-1340 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
13,500 total835 in this make and model93 in the last 90 days
N48455Registered now · Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164BS/N 28B · Built 1976Airframe modelGrumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164BEngine 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.

Pilot states he was taking off with a load of prow week killer and approximately ½ tank of fuel. The aircraft hopper had been loaded at the south end of the runway and he then proceeded to taxi to the north end of the runway for take off. Wind was approximately 4 to 5 knots out of the southwest. After performing a run up he applied power and took off to the south. The engine power built to normal take off RPM. At approximately half way down the runway the pilot heard a pitch change to the engine. He was monitoring the engine instruments and noticed a drop of manifold pressure from 36.5 inches to 35 inches, and the prop RPM dropped from 2250 to 2080 RPM. The pilot verified the prop lever was full forward and then noted an additional drop of RPM to 2040. At this time the aircraft airspeed ceased to accelerate. With less than 500 feet left of the runway the pilot elected to not dump the load and attempted to get the aircraft airborne to clear the 4 strand barbed wire fence at the end of the runway. He steered the aircraft thru an open gate at the southeast end of the runway. The aircraft contacted fence posts and then cart wheeled and came to a rest facing back towards the runway on its back. The pilot was able to shut down the engine and secure the cockpit. He then released his belt and worked his way out from under the aircraft. He was met by his loading crew who were able to spray him down with water to decontaminate him. The aircraft was substantially damaged, and the pilot had multiple bruises, but refused medical treatment at the scene. The aircraft engine is to be torn down to establish whether there was a mechanical failure. The engine teardown is scheduled to be done within a month.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATES HE WAS TAKING OFF WITH A LOAD OF PROW WEEK KILLER AND APPROXIMATELY ½ TANK OF FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT HOPPER HAD BEEN LOADED AT THE SOUTH END OF THE RUNWAY AND HE THEN PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO THE NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY FOR TAKE OFF. WIND WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 TO 5 KNOTS OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST. AFTER PERFORMING A RUN UP HE APPLIED POWER AND TOOK OFF TO THE SOUTH. THE ENGINE POWER BUILT TO NORMAL TAKE OFF RPM. AT APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY THE PILOT HEARD A PITCH CHANGE TO THE ENGINE. HE WAS MONITORING THE ENGINE INSTRUMENTS AND NOTICED A DROP OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE FROM 36.5 INCHES TO 35 INCHES, AND THE PROP RPM DROPPED FROM 2250 TO 2080 RPM. THE PILOT VERIFIED THE PROP LEVER WAS FULL FORWARD AND THEN NOTED AN ADDITIONAL DROP OF RPM TO 2040. AT THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT AIRSPEED CEASED TO ACCELERATE. WITH LESS THAN 500 FEET LEFT OF THE RUNWAY THE PILOT ELECTED TO NOT DUMP THE LOAD AND ATTEMPTED TO GET THE AIRCRAFT AIRBORNE TO CLEAR THE 4 STRAND BARBED WIRE FENCE AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. HE STEERED THE AIRCRAFT THRU AN OPEN GATE AT THE SOUTHEAST END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED FENCE POSTS AND THEN CART WHEELED AND CAME TO A REST FACING BACK TOWARDS THE RUNWAY ON ITS BACK. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND SECURE THE COCKPIT. HE THEN RELEASED HIS BELT AND WORKED HIS WAY OUT FROM UNDER THE AIRCRAFT. HE WAS MET BY HIS LOADING CREW WHO WERE ABLE TO SPRAY HIM DOWN WITH WATER TO DECONTAMINATE HIM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND THE PILOT HAD MULTIPLE BRUISES, BUT REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT AT THE SCENE.THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE IS TO BE TORN DOWN TO ESTABLISH WHETHER THERE WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE ENGINE TEARDOWN IS SCHEDULED TO BE DONE WITHIN A MONTH.

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 WPR10LA212Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBuckeye, AZA partial loss of engine power during the takeoff roll for undetermined reasons.Apr 22, 2010 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N48455 · 3

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

Accident 19930222003189AFinal Approach · Indian Village, LALanded 75 feet short of paved runway on mowed grass overrun. Grass piled up in front of wheels causing a nose over.Feb 22, 1993 · Substantial damageIncident 19910426012869IFinal Approach · Iowa, LAStruck a parked aircraft while on final, trying to avoid truck that pulled in path. Discontinued approach.Apr 26, 1991 · Minor damageAccident 19900413009119ALow Level Operations · Reeves, LACylinder valve rocker arm seized knocking off valve cover. Flipped over, hard landing in rice field.Apr 13, 1990 · Substantial damage