- Date
- March 30, 1993, 07:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Walla Walla, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8734HSchweizer G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930330007459A
- Case key
- 43005
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. The lack of a suitable landing area was a factor.
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 of the agricultural aircraft stated that he had just completed his second spray pass of the morning when the engine quit without warning. He attempted a forced landing in a wheat field. The aircraft nosed over after touchdown in the soft field. After exiting from the cockpit, the pilot attempted to put out a small fire on the engine, but was unsuccessful. The aircraft was consumed by fire. An FAA inspector inspected the wreckage and found no mechanical discrepancies. He stated that he believed the pilot had encountered carburetor icing conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8734H
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1503
- Airframe hours
- 4,423
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Blue Mountain Aviation
- Registered owner
- Blue Mountain Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 4, 1993 · 40 hours before
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,360 total · 912 in this make and model · 2,306 as pilot in command · 103 in the last 90 days · 92 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ALW, 5 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.