- Date
- July 28, 1991, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Donaldsonville, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N573AFGrumman G-164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910728030329A
- Case key
- 23226
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 mechanical failure of the propeller blade pitch positioning bolt. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain available 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 experienced a severe engine vibration while conducting aerial application. The vibration was due to the failure of a blade pitch positioning bolt which rendered the propeller uncontrollable. The pilot executed a forced landing and collided with a drainage ditch during the landing rollout.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N573AF
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 573B
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- W.M. Melancon Enterprises, Inc, doing business as Air Farm, Inc.
- Registered owner
- W.M. Melancon Enterprises, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 20, 1991 · 439 hours before
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 355° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.