ATL95LA006

According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff, the airplane began losing engine power. He selected an emergency landing area and dumped the chemical load. While maneuvering for the landing, the left wing collided with the ground, and the airplane flipped over. During the field examination of the airplane, a large quantity of fuel poured from the fuel tank when the fuel cap was removed. Examination of the engine assembly failed to reveal a component failure.

On October 20, 1994, at 1345 eastern daylight time, a Grumman G-164B, N8960H, collided with the ground while maneuvering for an emergency landing near Jakin, Georgia. The aerial application flight operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137, with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the pilot was not injured. The flight departed Jakin, at 1343 hours.

The pilot departed his private airstrip enroute to a nearby field for a normal spraying operation. Two minutes into the flight, the pilot heard a loud "pop" followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot dumped the onboard chemicals load, climbed 300 feet, and maneuvered the airplane to avoid a collision with an irrigation system. While maneuvering for an emergency landing, the left wing collided with the ground.

During the on site examination of the airplane, about 50 gallons of fuel was recovered from the fuel system. An examination of the engine failed to disclose a component failure or a system malfunction.