20150513006699A

On 5/13/2015, aircraft N8875H a G-164A Grumman-schweizer (agcat) was conducting agricultural insecticide spraying operations in a field near Maxwell, CA. During flight at approximately 200 feet AGL, the pilot heard a loud pop and the engine quit running. He turned the aircraft 90 degrees in order to land on a narrow road. The road was too narrow and one of the aircraft wheels went off the road into the muddy field. The aircraft flipped over on its back. The pilot exited the aircraft without injuries.

In addition to the information above, he stated that he flew the same aircraft the day before on 5/12/2015 and encountered a failed left magneto. The magneto was replaced by a local mechanic and approved for return to service. The aircraft was flown to its main base in Maxwell after the magneto was replaced. The pilot stated that the aircraft operated normally on initial start-up the day of the accident. When asked how much fuel was in the aircraft when he started operations prior to the accident, the pilot stated that there was less than one half a tank of fuel.

The mechanic/ia that completed the last annual inspection and who installed the magneto was interviewed. The maintenance records were reviewed while the interview took place. The maintenance records were complete. The last annual inspection was signed off and completed on 4/30/2015. The mechanic stated that he and one other mechanic recovered the aircraft from the crash site and transported it to owner?s property in Maxwell, CA. When asked how much fuel was present, the mechanic stated that he drained a total of one half gallon of fuel from the aircraft. He said the aircraft was upside down but there were no fuel stains below the aircraft and no fuel odor coming from the ground below the aircraft. A review of the colusa county sheriff?s report indicated that there was no fuel leakage noted from the aircraft immediately after the crash. The mechanic described the installation of the left magneto the day prior to the accident and showed this inspector the traceability/serviceability paperwork for the magneto. The maintenance records review was satisfactory.

An initial examination of the aircraft revealed no abnormal findings with the wings and fuselage. The aircraft appeared to be well maintained. The left engine magneto that was replaced prior to the accident flight was inspected for general condition and installation. It appeared to be installed and safetied correctly. The forward engine ignition leads and igniter plugs were removed to perform a cursory field thumb compression check of the cylinders. All cylinders had a varying degree of compression except the #1 cylinder had no compression. The aft engine ignition leads were removed for a field test of the magnetos. The left magneto produced spark to the forward ignition leads when the engine was rotated by hand prop. The aft row of igniters which are powered by the right magneto did not produce any spark when the engine was hand propped. The magneto switch was selected to the ?both? Position. The fuel strainer was checked for fuel and contained approximately ½ cup of fuel when drained. The residual fuel was clear.

The aircraft magneto was replaced at tachometer time 464.39 hrs. The aircraft made an approximate 5 minute flight from the remote site where the magneto was replaced to the main base in Maxwell, CA. The aircraft fuel tanks have an 80 gallon capacity. The pilot stated that the fuel quantity indicated on the fuel gage indicated less than one half tank prior to the first flight on 5/13/2015. The aircraft was not refueled prior to the accident on 5/13/2015. Tachometer time on the aircraft after the accident was 466.16 hrs. The time flown since the magneto replacement was 1.77 hrs. The fuel burn for the aircraft while working is approximately 40 gallons per hour. It appears that the aircraft may have run out of fuel.