- Date
- July 3, 1998, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Stratton, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N36RAGrumman G164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980703015789A
- Case key
- 20669
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
A power loss for reasons undetermined. A factor was the muddy corn field.
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 was spraying a field and circling for his last spray run when the engine lost power. He attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. He made a forced landing in a muddy corn field and when the wheels contacted the ground, and the airplane nosed over, crushing the vertical stabilizer. Postaccident engine disassembly failed to disclosed the reason for the power loss.
Factual narrative
On July 3, 1998, at 1430 mountain daylight time, a Grumman G164A, N36RA, was substantially damaged when it nosed over during a forced landing near Stratton, Colorado. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant onboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the aerial application flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 137. The flight originated approximately 1345.
According to the pilot, he was spraying a field and was circling for his last spray run when the engine lost power. He attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. He made a forced landing in a muddy corn field. When the wheels contacted the ground, the airplane nosed over, crushing the vertical stabilizer.
The engine was later disassembled and examined. No evidence was found to indicate the reason for the power loss.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36RA
- Reported as
- Grumman G164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1615
- Airframe hours
- 3,747
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Nicolas T. Scott
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 6, 1998 · 65 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Burlington, CO
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
- 20
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 725 total · 350 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ITR, 13 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 N36RA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.