# NTSB LAX00LA199: Grumman G-164A, N5335, Biggs, CA, May 18, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 18, 2000, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC) - Place: Biggs, CA - Coordinates: 39.420936, -121.669128 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.4209&lon=-121.6691&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 17, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 49236 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX00LA199 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/49236/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA199 ## Probable cause The broken exhaust valve rocker arm of the number 3 cylinder that resulted in a total loss of engine power during an aerial application flight. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, maneuvering - engine assembly,rocker arm/tappet - failure,total (cause) - engine assembly,valve,exhaust - failure (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - muddy - terrain condition - open field - Nose over, landing - flare/touchdown ## Analysis While seeding a rice field on the sixth flight of the day, the engine began to lose power. The pilot made an emergency landing in an adjacent rice field that was flooded and muddy. On the landing rollout the main landing gear wheels dug into the mud and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the engine revealed that the number 3 cylinder exhaust valve area had a crack that extended from the rocker shaft to the push rod boss area. No further anomalies were observed with the engine. ## Factual narrative On May 18, 2000, at 1630 hours Pacific daylight time, a Grumman G-164A, N5335, experienced a loss of engine power during aerial application, then nosed over during the subsequent forced landing in a rice field near Biggs, California. The airplane, operated by Williams Ag. Service under 14 CFR Part 137 as an agricultural operation, sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the rice seeding operation and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1615 at a private dirt field in Biggs, and was scheduled to terminate there. The pilot reported that this was the sixth flight of the day. He had refueled prior to the accident flight with 60 gallons of fuel, and was carrying a full load of rice seed in the hopper. He stated that the airplane began losing engine power about 15 minutes into the flight, and he was attempting to make a forced landing in an open pasture. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost all power and he landed short of the pasture in a flooded, muddy, rice field. During the landing rollout, the main wheels dug into the mud and the airplane nosed over. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane on May 15, 2000, at the owner's facilities in Biggs. He observed a crack in the number 3 cylinder exhaust valve area below the rocker shaft that continued through the push rod boss area. No further discrepancies were noted. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5335](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5335), registered now, S/N 603, built 1969 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Grumman G-164A - Registry model: [Grumman G-164A](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-g-164a) (registry code 3952704) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney R1340 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r1340-series) (registry code 52016, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 603 - Airframe hours: 9386 - Engines: P&W R-1340AN-1 600 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial application, Part 137 - Registered owner: Williams Ag. Service - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special) - Last inspection: 100 hour, May 14, 2000, 32 hours before - Airport: Pvt. Dirt Strip ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: center; flight hours: 20,000 total, 11,800 in this make and model, 19,800 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 290° at 10 knots, gusting 14 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: OVE, 7 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20000518013329A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000518013329A), May 18, 2000: Scwzer G164A, Biggs, CA, Substantial damage. (-23) Engine lost power during pass over rice field, pilot landed in same field a/c turned over on contact with water, a/c received substantial damages. (.4)on… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.