# NTSB WPR10LA214: Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A, N4450, Madera, CA, April 23, 2010 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 23, 2010, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC) - Place: Madera, CA - Coordinates: 36.988609, -120.11222 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.9886&lon=-120.1122&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 28, 2011 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 75834 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR10LA214 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/75834/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75834 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10LA214 ## Probable cause A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=3952801), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=3952801), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A, 12 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=3952801), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was ferrying the newly-purchased agricultural airplane to his home airport. Approximately 1 hour since fueling, the engine lost power. Despite the pilot's attempts to restart the engine, he was forced to land the airplane in an agricultural field. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have resulted in a loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On April 23, 2010, at 1330 Pacific daylight time, a restricted category Grumman Aircraft Engineering G164A, N4450, lost engine power in flight and was substantially damaged during a forced landing approximately 2 miles north of Madera Municipal Airport, Madera, California. The commercial pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the positioning flight. The pilot departed from Lodi Airport, Lodi, California, and was en route to Shirley Williams Airport, Kingsland, Texas. His next planned stop was Fresno Chandler Executive Airport, Fresno, California. According to the pilot, he recently purchased the airplane and was ferrying it home. He made a fuel stop and then flew approximately 1 hour when the loss of engine power occurred. While established in cruise flight at 1,500 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot pushed the engine and propeller controls forward and looked for a place to land. He attempted to land at Madera but force-landed the airplane in a pistachio orchard where the airplane came to rest inverted. From the time of his initial departure, the pilot had flown 1.8 hours in the airplane. The last annual inspection was completed in January 2010 and the airplane had not been flown since that time. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and engine with a representative from Pratt and Whitney. The exhaust turbine wheel rotated freely. The engine was manually rotated with no unusual sounds from the power or compressor turbines. The main fuel filter was removed showing no water or other contamination. The fuel selector was found in the "On" position and the inspector noted difficulty in rotating the selector from the "On" to the "Off" position. The fuel control unit and fuel pump were removed from the engine and sent to Pratt and Whitney Canada for further examination and testing. Representatives from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and Pratt and Whitney examined the fuel control unit and fuel pump. Trace amounts of contaminants were found in the fuel pump inlet and outlet filter. Testing of the fuel control unit and fuel pump revealed no mechanical anomalies. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4450](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4450), registered now, S/N 1048 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: GRUMMAN ACFT ENG COR-SCHWEIZER G-164A - Registry model: [Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-acft-eng-cor-schweizer-g-164a) (registry code 3952801) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney R1340 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r1340-series) (registry code 52016, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1048 - Airframe hours: 11600 - Engines: Pratt and Whitney PT-6 600 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Operator: Larry Wright - Registered owner: Larry and Toni Wright - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, January 9, 2010, 2 hours before - Departed: 1O3, Lodi, CA - Destination: FCH, Fresno, CA ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 65; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 24, 2009; seat: single; flight hours: 11,932 total, 300 in this make and model, 11,835 as pilot in command, 70 in the last 90 days, 25 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 30.02 inHg - Observed at: KMAE, 2 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20100423032969A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100423032969A), Apr 23, 2010: Grumman Acf G-164A, Madera, CA, Substantial damage. The aircraft was being ferried under FAR part 91 when apparently lost engine power while at 1500 feet AGL at cruise altitude. An emergency landing was… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2011, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75834. 1.5 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 375 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342983&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - FAA Accident Site Map (item 2, .PDF, 607 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342787&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Accident%20Site%20Map-Master.PDF - FAA Record of Conversation (item 3, .PDF, 59 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342788&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Record%20of%20Conversation-Master.PDF - TSB Record of Conversation (item 4, .PDF, 62 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342804&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=TSB%20Record%20of%20Conversation-Master.PDF - Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 (item 5, .PDF, 32 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40343048&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.15-Redacted.PDF - NTSB Photographs (2 embedded photos) (item 6, .PDF, 320 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342695&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Photographs%20(2%20embedded%20photos)-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.