- Date
- March 18, 1992, 09:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Garwood, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5378Grumman G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920318009969A
- Case key
- 18463
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 due to rocker arm failure. A factor was the unsuitable terrain.
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
During a day takeoff, the airplane experienced a complete loss of engine power due to rocker arm failure. The pilot successfully landed on a rice paddy; however, during the landing roll the airplane impacted a dike and nosed over to the inverted position. The engine failure occurred at 40 feet above ground level while taking off with a high gross weight. The pilot was able to dump most of the chemical prior to landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5378
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1142
- Airframe hours
- 7,213
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Aero Ag Services, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Aero Ag Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 7, 1992 · 28 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,127 total · 607 in this make and model · 1,053 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VCT, 26 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.