- Date
- March 14, 1998, 09:10 local (15:10 UTC)
- Place
- Marianna, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8626HGrumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980314003469A
- Case key
- 3978
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of maintenance personnel to secure the magneto cover that resulted in water contamination and the subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was rough and uneven terrain.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Approximately ten minutes into the flight the pilot reported that the engine developed a rough running condition. The pilot tried several power settings in an effort to reduce the condition, but no action on his part resolved the rough running condition. Since the pilot could not maintain altitude, the he selected an adjacent field for an emergency landing. The pilot said that landing surface was rough and uneven. Examination of the engine assembly disclosed that the right magneto cover was not secure and that the five screws that secure the cover to the magneto assembly were missing. The visual examination of the internal components of the magneto assembly showed evidence of water stains on the magneto block. Internal component continuity was established when the engine was rotated completely through. Low compression was also noted on all cylinders.
Factual narrative
On March 14, 1998, at 0910 central standard time, a Grumman-Schweizer G-164A, N8626H, nosed over, according to the pilot, during a full stop landing on a county road near Marianna Florida. The aerial application flight operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137 with no flight plan filed. The pilot reported that visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial rated pilot received minor injuries. According to the pilot, the airplane sustained substantial structural damage. The flight departed the staging area near Marianna, Florida, at 0905.
Approximately five minutes into the flight the pilot reported that the engine developed a rough running condition. The pilot tried several power settings in an effort to reduce the condition, but no action on his part resolved the rough running condition. Since the pilot could not maintain altitude, he then selected an adjacent field for an emergency landing. The pilot said that landing surface was rough and uneven.
Examination of the engine assembly disclosed that the right magneto cover was not secure and that the five screws that secure the cover to the magneto assembly were missing. The visual examination of the internal components of the magneto assembly showed evidence of water stains on the magneto block. Internal component continuity was established when the engine was rotated completely through. Low compression was also noted on all cylinders. A small quantity of fuel was recovered from the carburetor. According to the aircraft wreckage recovery crew, a substantial amount of fuel was recovered from the wing tanks at the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8626H
- Reported as
- Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1437
- Airframe hours
- 7,737
- Engine
- P&W R-985-AN14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Steve Odom
- Registered owner
- Judy Yon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 12, 1997 · 66 hours before
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 6,176 total · 1,535 in this make and model · 5,791 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MAI, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.