- Date
- August 3, 1996, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Belgrade, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9853Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 23, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960803020849A
- Case key
- 42434
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
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s). A factor relating to the accident was: a ditch in the field where the forced landing was executed.
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
While returning from an aerial application flight, the turbine-powered Grumman G-164A experienced a complete loss of power. The pilot made a successful touchdown in an open field, but the aircraft encountered a ditch during the landing roll. When the aircraft impacted the ditch, it sustained substantial damage. The cause of the power loss was not determined.
Factual narrative
On August 3, 1996, approximately 0800 mountain daylight time, a turbine-powered Grumman-Schweizer G-164A "Ag-Cat", N9853, registered to and being flown by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when the aircraft impacted a ditch during the landing roll following a loss of power approximately 10 nautical miles southwest of Belgrade, Montana. The pilot reportedly was uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which had been engaged in aerial application and was returning at the end of a spray run, was to have been operated under 14CFR137.
The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that while in cruise fight, the aircraft's engine began to stream white smoke and power was lost shortly thereafter. The pilot executed a forced landing in an open field, but during the landing roll, the aircraft impacted a ditch and sustained substantial damage. A post-accident investigation did not determine the reason for the loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9853
- Reported as
- Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1291
- Airframe hours
- 1,787
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-331-1, 665 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Morgan, Boyd, J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 5, 1996 · 200 hours before
- Departed
- Belgrade, MT
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 6,100 total · 6,100 as pilot in command · 270 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 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 N9853 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.