- Date
- May 14, 1992, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Welsh, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8331KSchweizer G-164D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920514018929A
- Case key
- 18495
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 engine failure at liftoff due to the failure of multiple turbine blades and the pilot's inability to maintain directional control during the aborted takeoff.
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
Immediately after liftoff, the pilot heard an explosion and flames briefly engulfed the cockpit. As the flames cleared the engine seized and the airplane settled back onto the strip. The pilot applied maximum braking; however, the airplane developed a left drift that he was unable to correct. The airplane subsequently departed the left side of the runway and collided with a three foot deep ditch. Investigation revealed that several turbine blades had been released from both the gas producer and power turbine wheels. The manufacturer reported that the blades were released as a result of interference, but did not report the reason for the interference.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8331K
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 16D
- Airframe hours
- 4,569
- Engine
- P&W PT6-15AG, 680 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Lyon Flying Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Lyon Flying Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 2, 1992 · 150 hours before
- Airport
- NONE · Private, runway 18, 2,000 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 12,944 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 12,814 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 79 °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 N8331K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.