Grumman G-164A N5495

Summary

On 1 August 2005 at about 13:40 local time, a Grumman G-164A registered N5495 was involved in an accident near Felton, Delaware, 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

1 August 2005 at 13:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Felton, Delaware, United States

Nearest airport

Hrupsa Airstrip (NONE)

Coordinates

39.0128, -75.5336

Aircraft

Grumman G-164A

Registration

N5495

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Felton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC05LA126

Nobody was injured.

The mechanic's inadequate annual inspection, and failure to comply with an airworthiness directive, which resulted in a total failure of the second stage turbine rotor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While returning to a private airstrip, the pilot heard a loud explosion from the engine. The engine lost all power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a soybean field. During the landing, the right wing contacted the ground and the airplane came to rest inverted. The airplane was equipped with a Honeywell (Garrett) TPE331-43A turboprop engine. Examination of the engine revealed that the second stage turbine rotor was fractured, separated, and lodged in the back of the engine. The second stage turbine stator seal plate assembly exhibited warpage. The evidence was consistent with the warped second stage turbine stator seal plate contacting the second stage turbine rotor, causing the rotor to separate. Airworthiness directive (AD) 86-08-06 R1 pertained to the accident engine, and required an x-ray inspection of the second stage turbine stator seal plate assembly. The purpose of the AD was to detect and repair engines with second stage turbine stator seal plate assemblies that exhibited warpage. The last annual inspection of the airplane was performed about 4 months prior to the accident. According to the aircraft logbooks, the airframe and powerplant mechanic with an inspection authorization (IA) noted the AD as not applicable due to engine model number. However, the subject engine model number did require completion of the AD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.