- Date
- May 20, 2008, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- East Bernard, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5083Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of engine power (partial)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Houston
- FAA report
- 20080520834789A
- Case key
- 68061
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
Two engine cylinder exhaust valves stuck open for an undetermined reason, resulting in a loss of engine power.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The commercial pilot departed on an aerial application flight after refueling and being loaded with a full load of fertilizer. Outside air temperature was 103 degrees Fahrenheit. The pilot was flying his first application pass shortly after takeoff when the engine stopped developing full power due to low compression on two cylinders from malfunctioning exhaust valves. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and the airplane impacted the ground, bending the left wing spar down and aft.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot departed a private airstrip on an aerial application flight after refueling and being loaded with a full load of fertilizer. The pilot was flying his first application pass shortly after takeoff when he said the engine stopped developing power and the airplane started descending. The airplane hit a levy, impacted in a field and came to rest against a second levy. Temperature at the time of the accident was reported by the pilot as 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Examination of the airplane showed the left wing spar was bent down and aft. A compression check of the engine performed by FAA personnel revealed the number three cylinder producing 24 pounds of compression, the number nine cylinder producing 50 pounds of compression, and the remaining seven cylinders producing 68 pounds of compression. The number three exhaust valve was found stuck open. The engine was not disassembled to determine the cause of the sticking exhaust valve. The engine had accumulated 943 hours since the last overhaul and 129 hours since its last annual inspection on March 3, 2008.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5083
- Reported as
- Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1115
- Airframe hours
- 9,489
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R1340, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Hicks, Lowell R, doing business as Double L Flying Services
- Registered owner
- Hicks, Lowell R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2007
- Departed
- East Bernard, TX
- Airport
- N/A · Private Airstrip, runway UNK
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2007
- Flight hours
- 16,500 total · 5,600 in this make and model · 129 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Temperature
- 102 °F
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 N5083 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.