- Date
- March 4, 1995, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Robbins, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5450Schweizer G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950304003109A
- Case key
- 29049
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 failure of the engine master rod. A factor in the accident was the soft, wet condition of the field available 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 pilot said the engine quit and he landed in the only available field, which was soft and wet. During the ground roll, the aircraft nosed over. Subsequent examination of the engine revealed a hole in the engine case near the number 5 cylinder skirt. Disassembly of the engine disclosed that the master rod had failed.
Factual narrative
On March 4, 1995, at 1130 Pacific standard time, a Schweizer G- 164A, N5450, nosed over during an attempted forced landing in a plowed field near Robbins, California. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power while the aircraft was en route to spray a field. The aircraft was owned and operated by Tolles Flying Service, Inc., of Yuba City, California, and was engaged in aerial application operations under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from a private airstrip near Wagner, California, on the day of the accident at 1115.
According to the pilot, after the engine quit he landed in the only available field, which was soft and wet. During the ground roll, the aircraft nosed over.
Subsequent examination of the engine revealed a hole in the engine case near the number 5 cylinder skirt. Disassembly by the operator disclosed that the master rod had failed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5450
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1160
- Airframe hours
- 9,797
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Tolles Flying Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 18, 1995 · 65 hours before
- Departed
- CA18 · CA
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 5,350 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 5,300 as pilot in command · 103 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 18,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N5450 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.