CEN11LA484

According to the pilot, during takeoff on an aerial application flight, the engine lost power. He performed a forced landing. During the landing, the landing gear struck a rice levee and the airplane nosed over. A postcrash fire ensued causing substantial damage to the airplane. Due to the fire damage, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

On June 11, 2011, approximately 1200 central daylight time, a Schweizer Aircraft Corporation G-164B, N3629C, owned and operated by a commercial pilot, lost engine power during takeoff near Cash, Arkansas, and subsequently impacted terrain. A postimpact fire ensued causing substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot, the sole person on board, was not injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the pilot, the engine lost power shortly after takeoff. During the forced landing, the airplane’s landing gear struck a rice levee and the airplane nosed over. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who examined the airplane at the scene said that the extensive fire damage to the engine precluded determining what caused the engine to lose power.