- Date
- June 6, 1994, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Carlisle, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8363KGrumman G-164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940606013999A
- Case key
- 19078
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 reason. A factor ws the lack of suitable terrain at the pilot's disposal 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 commercial pilot reported a 'loud cannon-like sound' coming from the engine, followed by a complete loss of engine power. During the forced landing rollout in a soft field, the main landing gear sank into the soft ground, and the airplane came to rest with the propeller spinner stuck in the ground. Fuel from the fuel tank on the top wing dripped down the cowling into the engine compartment, starting a fire. A post-impact fire destroyed the airplane. A detailed engine examination and teardown failed to disclose any anomalies that would have prevented normal engine operation.
Factual narrative
On June 6, 1994, at 1030 central daylight time, a Grumman G-164B, N8363K, was destroyed during a forced landing near Carlisle, Arkansas. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the aerial application flight.
According to the pilot, the airplane was dispensing fertilizer on an easterly heading at an altitude of 50 feet AGL, near the end of the rice field. The pilot further reported hearing a "loud cannon-like pop sound" coming from the engine, immediately followed by the complete loss of engine power.
The pilot added that at the point of the power loss, a line of tall trees was less than 1/8 of a mile ahead of the airplane. He elected to turn right into the wind while attempting to dump his load from the 400 gallon hopper.
The spreader assembly separated from the fuselage on initial contact with the ground. As the main landing gear sank into the soft muddy ground, the airplane went nose down and came to rest with the propeller spinner stuck in the ground.
According to the pilot's enclosed statement, fuel from the 97 gallon fuel tank on the top wing dripped down the cowling and into the engine compartment, starting a fire. Post-impact fire destroyed the airplane.
A detailed examination and teardown of the engine failed to disclose any anomalies that would have prevented normal engine operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8363K
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6638
- Airframe hours
- 4,337
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-20B, 550 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Farmers Aerial Seeders Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 1994 · 325 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Seaton, AR
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 5,430 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 5,100 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 120 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SGT, 21 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.
Other investigations on N8363K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.