- Date
- August 6, 2002, 20:37 local (Aug 7, 2002, 00:37 UTC)
- Place
- Sturgis, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8444KSchweizer G-164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 6, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-South Bend, Indiana-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020806021559A
- Case key
- 55461
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 the turbine section of the engine, and the unsuitable terrain encountered for the forced landing. The low altitude was a factor.
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
The airplane was damaged when it nosed over during a forced landing in a soybean field following a loss of engine power while maneuvering. The airplane was involved in an aerial application flight. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the turbine section of the engine had failed.
Factual narrative
On August 6, 2002, at 2037 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer G-164B, N8444K, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during a forced landing following a loss of engine power while maneuvering 8 miles north of Sturgis, Michigan. The 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The local flight originated from the Wolfe Field Airport, Shipshewana, Indiana, at 1910.
The airplane was being used to spray a cornfield near Sturgis, Michigan. Subsequent to the engine failure, a forced landing was executed in a soybean field adjacent to the field that was being sprayed. During the forced landing, the airplane nosed over.
A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the turbine section of the engine had failed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8444K
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 716B
- Airframe hours
- 6,587
- Engine
- Garrett TPE331-1-151A, 665 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Lutes Flying Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 30, 2002 · 282 hours before
- Departed
- IN65 · Shipshewana, IN
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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 18, 2002
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- IRS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8444K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.