20120527009959A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A · Wilton, CA · May 27, 2012

Date: May 27, 2012 · 08:30 local
Place: Wilton, CA
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: 2W5G
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8380
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR12LA233
Reported as: Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N8380Registration cancelled Mar 8, 2018 · Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164AS/N 874 · Built 1971 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.

The pilot was closing the gate of the hopper at the end of an sulphur dust application pass when he felt a "snap" and felt the gate handle go slack. He pulled back to gain altitude and looked in the mirrors to see sulfur still coming from the aircraft. He banked hard left to keep the material in the field and as he was rolling level he heard and felt the sulfur ignite. As the cockpit filled with smoke he also saw flames in the hopper and outside the side windows. He opened the left side window to try to clear smoke and headed toward an emergency landing site. The aircraft touched down on a driveway and as it rolled out, the airplane pulled right and exited the driveway onto the adjoining grass area. The landing gear dug in and the aircraft flipped over on its back. The pilot unlatched the left side window (again), opened it and unlatched his seat harness and began egress. The aircraft was on fire so the pilot walked upwind and waited for fire personnel to arrive.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WAS CLOSING THE GATE OF THE HOPPER AT THE END OF AN SULPHUR DUST APPLICATION PASS WHEN HE FELT A "SNAP" AND FELT THE GATE HANDLE GO SLACK. HE PULLED BACK TO GAIN ALTITUDE AND LOOKED IN THE MIRRORS TO SEE SULFUR STILL COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. HE BANKED HARD LEFT TO KEEP THE MATERIAL IN THE FIELD AND AS HE WAS ROLLING LEVEL HE HEARD AND FELT THE SULFUR IGNITE. AS THE COCKPIT FILLED WITH SMOKE HE ALSO SAW FLAMES IN THE HOPPER AND OUTSIDE THE SIDE WINDOWS. HE OPENED THE LEFT SIDE WINDOW TO TRY TO CLEAR SMOKE AND HEADED TOWARD AN EMERGENCY LANDING SITE. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON A DRIVEWAY AND AS IT ROLLED OUT, THE AIRPLANE PULLED RIGHT AND EXITED THE DRIVEWAY ONTO THE ADJOINING GRASS AREA. THE LANDING GEAR DUG IN AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK. THE PILOT UNLATCHED THE LEFT SIDE WINDOW (AGAIN), OPENED IT AND UNLATCHED HIS SEAT HARNESS AND BEGAN EGRESS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON FIRE SO THE PILOT WALKED UPWIND AND WAITED FOR FIRE PERSONNEL TO ARRIVE.

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 WPR12LA233Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWilton, CAThe failure of the hopper gate mechanism and subsequent sulfur fire during a low-level maneuver.May 27, 2012 · Substantial damage