CEN11LA610

While climbing out from a private airstrip, the airplane experienced a partial loss of power at 150 feet, and the pilot executed an emergency forced landing in a cotton field. The airplane touched down in the field and subsequently nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The throttle cable was found fractured between the engine and the firewall. Laboratory examination determined that the cable fractured in tensile overstress associated with wear damage. The wear damage is consistent with a sharp bend in the cable trajectory. It is likely that the push-pull operation of the throttle cable may have resulted in further damage to the cable.

On August 29, 2011, approximately 1745 central daylight time, a Grumman Aircraft Eng G-164A, N48378, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, following a loss of engine power, near Monette, Arkansas. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Tri-Air LLC., of Monette, Arkansas, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed for the local flight. According to the pilot, after takeoff and when the airplane was approximately 150 feet above ground level, the engine lost partial power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot executed a forced landing to a cotton field. During the rollout the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. During the postaccident examination the throttle cable was found separated near the carburetor. The cable was removed and examined at the National Transportation Safety Board’s materials laboratory. The examination revealed that the throttle cable was fractured in tensile overstress which was associated with wear damage. The wear damage is consistent with a sharp bend in the cable trajectory. No further mechanical discrepancies were noted that would have contributed to the partial loss of engine power.