- Date
- October 28, 1985, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gila Bend, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8487KSchweizer G-164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851028054419A
- Case key
- 25008
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
After spraying a field and while enroute to the landing site, the acft engine backfired followed by a rapid loss of power. The plt negotiated an emergency landing on a private dirt road. During the landing roll-out, the aircraft left wing struck a tree causing the acft to flip over onto its back. Examination of the engine disclosed no evidence of any mechanical malfunction of failure. The carburetor screen, bowl and the main fuel lines were free of any contaminates. The gascolator contained a large amount of muddy water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8487K
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 691B
- Airframe hours
- 1,194
- Engine
- P&W R1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Pierce Aviation
- Registered owner
- R. O. Bowles Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 3, 1985 · 148 hours before
- Departed
- Yuma, AZ
- Airport
- GBN · Gila Bend
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,258 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 3,258 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- E63, 23 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 N8487K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.