Grumman G-164A N8661H

Summary

On 28 September 2004 at about 14:00 local time, a Grumman G-164A registered N8661H, operated by The Airport, was involved in an accident near Gilbert, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 September 2004 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Gilbert, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

32.0142, -91.6639

Aircraft

Grumman G-164A

Registration

N8661H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

The Airport

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gilbert → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW04CA246

Nobody was injured.

The failure of a piston connecting rod for undetermined reasons resulting in the loss of engine power. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 11,000-hour pilot reported that during an aerial application flight, the "engine began running rough." The pilot initiated a turn back toward the airport and "attempted to gain altitude." At an altitude of approximately 200 feet above ground level and approximately 1/2 mile from the runway when the engine "shuttered violently and quit." The pilot initiated a forced landing to a nearby pasture. The pilot stated that during the landing roll, the airplane impacted a wire fence, crossed two ditches, one road, impacted a second fence, crossed another pasture, and impacted a third fence before coming to rest upright in a plowed field. Examination of the radial engine revealed a piston connecting rod was separated the piston. The operator reported that at the time of the accident, the engine had accumulated 462 hours since major overhaul and 300 hours since the last annual inspection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.