- Date
- July 22, 2010, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Alexandria, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6772QGrumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of engine power (partial)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100722043549A
- Case key
- 76731
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was performing an aerial application run when he observed smoke emanating from the engine. Immediately following the smoke, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot attempted to return to the airfield, but the airplane would not maintain altitude/airspeed. The pilot then elected to conduct a forced landing in the rice field. During the landing, the airplane rolled for 50-150 yards and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. A visual inspection of the engine failed to identify the reason for the loss of engine power. At the time of writing, the pilot had not returned a completed NTSB Form 6120.1, (The Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report), as requested.
Factual narrative
The commercial rated pilot was performing an aerial application run when a “puff” of smoke came from the engine. Immediately after the puff of smoke, the engine lost power, but kept running. The pilot tried to return to the airfield, but the airplane would not maintain altitude/airspeed. The pilot then elected to conduct a forced landing in the rice field. During the landing, the airplane rolled for 50-150 yards before flipping over onto its back. The pilot was not injured; however, the airplane sustained substantial damage in the forced landing. A visual inspection of the engine failed to identify the reason for the loss of engine power. At the time this report was submitted, the pilot had not returned a completed NTSB Form 6120.1, (The Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report), as requested.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6772Q
- Reported as
- Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 281B
- Engine
- P & W PT6, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Vincent Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Vincent Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Alexandria, LA
- Destination
- Alexandria, LA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 7,000 in this make and model · 300 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KAEX, 7 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 5, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.