- Date
- March 10, 1997, 17:00 local (Mar 11, 1997, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Winters, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N36265Grumman G-164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 2, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970311002749A
- Case key
- 29741
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 failure of the engine cylinder head assembly due to operational fatigue.
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 agricultural airplane was in level flight when the No. 1 engine cylinder head separated from the cylinder barrel. The airplane landed in a field and nosed over. Postaccident examination of the cylinder head revealed a fatigue type failure. The cylinder total operational time was not available.
Factual narrative
On March 10, 1997, about 1700 hours Pacific standard time, a Grumman G-164B, N36265, operated by Growers Air Service of Woodland, California, was substantially damaged at Winters, California. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the agricultural operation and no flight plan was filed.
According to the pilot, the engine failed during level flight. The pilot force landed the aircraft in a field and nosed over. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 1 engine cylinder sustained a catastrophic failure of the head assembly. The engine reportedly had 650 hours since major overhaul with an unknown amount of hours on the cylinder assembly since new. Examination revealed a fatigue type failure.
The operator failed to respond to requests to file a Safety Board form 6120.1/2, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36265
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Airframe hours
- 7,368
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Growers Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- NONE · CA
- Destination
- 6Q8 · Medlock Field, 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
- 70
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 35,000 total · 10,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
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 N36265 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.