- Date
- August 10, 1995, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bloomington, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6771QGrumman G164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950810023829A
- Case key
- 9983
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 disintegration of the engine's super charger bearings. Factors associated with the accident were the total failure of the engine's super charger and the unsuitable terrain surrounding the airplane's departure path encountered by the pilot.
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 pilot stated his engine popped two times after takeoff. Between the first and second popping sound the engine lost power, regained power and then quit after the second popping sound. The airplane landed in mature corn, inverting before coming to a stop on the ground. The on-scene investigation revealed the airplane's engine experienced a total failure of the super charger's bearing system.
Factual narrative
On August 9, 1995, at 1530 central daylight time (cdt), a Grumman G164B, N6771Q, piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged during a collision with mature corn and the ground following a total loss of power shortly after takeoff. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 ferry flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight departed a restricted landing area near Bloomington, Nebraska, at 1530 cdt.
The pilot said the airplane had climbed to about 500 feet above the ground after takeoff when its engine made a popping sound. The engine, according to the pilot, lost power after the first popping sound. He said it regained power, ran for a few seconds, and made a second popping sound. He said the engine stopped running shortly after the second popping sound. He said the airplane became inverted after colliding with nine foot high corn.
An FAA Principal Maintenance Inspector (PMI) represented the NTSB on-scene. The PMI said the engine examination revealed its super charger bearings had been destroyed during flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6771Q
- Reported as
- Grumman G164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 280B
- Airframe hours
- 3,860
- Engine
- P&W R985-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Duane Donovan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 27, 1994 · 222 hours before
- Destination
- CNK · Concordia, KS
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 4,250 in this make and model · 4,500 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HSI, 30 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.
Other investigations on N6771Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.