- Date
- May 17, 2002, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hathaway, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N48533Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 54716
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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 reported that while pulling up out of the field the agricultural airplane began to settle. He added full power; however, there wasn't any response, and the airplane continued to settle. During the ensuing forced landing to a rice field, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
Factual narrative
On May 17, 2002, approximately 1230 central daylight time, a Grumman-Schweizwer G-164A agricultural airplane, N48533, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Hathaway, Louisiana. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from a private airstrip at 1220.
The pilot stated he was operating off of a short grass airstrip and this was his fourth load of the day. The airplane was hauling 1,400 pounds of fertilizer, approximately one-half of a normal load. After making several passes, with the load down to 1,000 pounds, he pulled up out of the field, and "the airplane felt like it was settling." He added full power, but "the engine didn't respond with any more power. It didn't want to fly, and it kept settling." The pilot executed a forced landing straight ahead in a rice field and touched down in a flat, wings level attitude. The airplane bounced once, nosed over, and came to rest inverted.
According to the FAA inspector, who examined the airplane at the accident site, there was substantial damage to the empennage and the firewall. Both wings, the engine, and both main landing gear were damaged. The 600-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN1 engine had accumulated a total of 6,876 hours (350 hours since overhaul), and underwent its most recent annual inspection on February 4, 2002, approximately 50 hours prior to the accident.
The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48533
- Reported as
- Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1665
- Airframe hours
- 6,876
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Daniel L. Ewing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 4, 2002 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- Hathaway, LA
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
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- January 8, 2002
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 1,600 total · 50 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- LCH, 37 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 10, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 444 KB in all.