# NTSB CEN12LA458: Grumman G-164A, N6583, Egeland, ND, July 7, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 7, 2012, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC) - Place: Egeland, ND - Coordinates: 48.626388, -99.097221 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.6264&lon=-99.0972&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 30, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Fargo FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 84370 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN12LA458 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/84370/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84370 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA458 ## Probable cause The partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examinations. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Grumman G-164A, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=3952704), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Grumman G-164A, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=3952704), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094); cases with it: [Grumman G-164A, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=3952704), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he made two aerial application passes over the wheat field. During the reversal turn on the second pass, the airplane cleared a set of power lines and began to settle. The pilot applied full throttle, but the engine did not respond. He flared the airplane and completed a forced landing to the wheat field. During the landing, the landing gear failed, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The examination of the two propeller blades revealed that they both exhibited leading edge gouges, chordwise scratches, and blade twisting, which is consistent with the engine operating at the time of ground impact. The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of carburetor ice while operating at a sustained idle engine power setting. However, the engine power setting used during the aerial application flight would have been significantly higher than an idle engine setting; therefore, it is unlikely that carburetor ice accumulated during the accident flight. ## Factual narrative On July 7, 2012, about 1300 central daylight time, a Grumman G-164/A, N6583, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a wheat field after a reported loss of power near Egeland, North Dakota. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed. The local flight departed from the Cando Municipal Airport (9D7), Cando, North Dakota, at an unknown time. The pilot reported that he made two application passes over the wheat field. During the reversal turn on the second pass, the airplane cleared a set of power lines and began to settle. The pilot applied full throttle, but the engine did not respond, and he airplane continued to sink. He flared the airplane and landed in the wheat field. During the landing roll, the landing gear failed resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot stated, "As far as I could tell, the engine stopped making power and settled in the field." The airplane was equipped with a 450-horsepower Pratt and Whitney R-985 carbureted engine. The examination of the propeller blades revealed that both propeller blades exhibited leading edge gouges, chordwise scratches, and blade twist, which was consistent with the engine operating at the time of ground impact. At 1235, the surface weather observation at Rugby, North Dakota, located 39 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, was: wind 250 degrees at 9 knots; 10 miles visibility; sky clear; temperature 25 degrees Celsius; dew point 17 degrees Celsius; altimeter 30.23 inches of mercury. The FAA Carburetor Icing Probability Chart indicated that there was the potential of accruing carburetor ice while operating at a sustained idle engine power setting. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6583](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6583), registered now, S/N 720, built 1970 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: GRUMMAN G-164A - Registry model: [Grumman G-164A](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-g-164a) (registry code 3952704) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney R-985 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-985-series) (registry code 52008, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 720 - Airframe hours: 3100 - Engines: P&W R-985 SERIES 450 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial application, Part 137 - Operator: Nathan Murdoch - Registered owner: Nathan Murdoch - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, June 12, 2012 - Departed: 9D7, Cando Municipal, ND - Destination: 9D7, Cando Municipal, ND - Airport: 9D7, Cando Municipal Airport - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 29; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review March 4, 2012; seat: single; flight hours: 356 total, 68 in this make and model, 261 as pilot in command, 100 in the last 90 days, 70 in the last 30 days, 10 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 240° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 30.22 inHg - Observed at: RUG, 39 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20120707014199A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120707014199A), Jul 7, 2012: Grumman G-164A, Egeland, ND, Substantial damage. PIC had just completed spray pass and was turning to set up for next pass and aircraft lost power. PIC says no mechanical indication/noise, just no power and… ## Docket (8 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84370. 3.8 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40413675&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Pilot interview - 1 (item 2, .PDF, 89 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40413676&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20interview%20-%201-Master.PDF - Pilot interview - 2 (item 3, .PDF, 84 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40413677&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20interview%20-%202-Master.PDF - Carburetor Icing Probability Chart (item 4, .PDF, 67 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40413678&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Carburetor%20Icing%20Probability%20Chart-Master.PDF - Photo 1 – View of damage to right wing (item 5, .PDF, 120 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40413679&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20%E2%80%93%20View%20of%20damage%20to%20right%20wing%0D%0A-Master.PDF - Photo 2 – View of propeller blade gouges (item 6, .PDF, 136 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40413680&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20%E2%80%93%20View%20of%20propeller%20blade%20gouges%0D%0A-Master.PDF - Photo 3 – Close up view of propeller blade gouges (item 7, .PDF, 113 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40413681&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20%E2%80%93%20Close%20up%20view%20of%20propeller%20blade%20gouges%0D%0A-Master.PDF - Photo 4 – View of leading edge gouges on opposite propeller blade (item 8, .PDF, 101 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40413682&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204%20%E2%80%93%20View%20of%20leading%20edge%20gouges%20on%20opposite%20propeller%20blade%0D%0A-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.