- Date
- May 14, 1996, 09:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Vineland, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6620QGrumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 10, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960514010459A
- Case key
- 39181
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
failure of the number 8 cylinder, which resulted in loss of engine power, a forced landing in soft terrain, and subsequent nose over of the airplane.
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 performing a number of previous aerial application flights, the airplane was loaded with a chemical pesticide, and the pilot initiated a takeoff from runway 20. Immediately after liftoff, the engine began missing, smoking, and backfiring violently. When the pilot was not able to maintain airspeed, he dropped the 207 gallons of pesticide, and made a forced landing straight ahead in a freshly plowed field. During the landing, the main gear sank into the topsoil, and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the engine revealed that the number eight cylinder head was cracked open from the forward spark plug boss to the rear spark plug boss, and the crack had progressed down to the cylinder barrel.
Factual narrative
On May 14, 1996, at 0945 eastern daylight time, a Grumman-Schweizer G164A-600, N6620Q, operated by Downtown Airport Inc., was substantially damaged during a forced landing after takeoff from the Vineland-Downtown Airport, Vineland, New Jersey. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the agriculture application flight that originated at the Vineland-Downtown Airport (28N). No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 137.
The pilot and airplane had flown 3 to 4 hours of application flights prior to the accident takeoff. The airplane was loaded with a chemical pesticide, and departed runway 20.
In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that he departed 28N for an application flight. He further stated:
"...Immediately after liftoff the engine began missing, smoking and backfiring violently. Not...able to maintain sufficient airspeed, I dropped the load (207 gallons of pesticide) and landed straight ahead in a freshly plowed field. The main gear sunk into the topsoil, and the aircraft nosed over..."
Examination of the engine by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector revealed:
"...The #8 cylinder head was cracked open from the forward spark plug boss over the top of the head to the rear spark plug boss, and progressed down to the steel cylinder barrel. No other contributing causes could be substantiated during this investigation..."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6620Q
- Reported as
- Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1693
- Airframe hours
- 2,510
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Downtown Airport Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 17, 1996 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- 28N
- Airport
- 28N · Vineland-Downtown, runway 20, 2,230 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 41
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 6,073 total · 2,350 in this make and model · 5,024 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Observed at
- PHL, 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 N6620Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.