Grumman G-164 N703Y

Summary

On 6 May 2008 at about 01:10 local time, a Grumman G-164 registered N703Y, operated by Chuck Jones Flying Service, Inc., was involved in an accident near Butte City, California, 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

6 May 2008 at 01:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Butte City, California, United States

Coordinates

39.4833, -121.9000

Aircraft

Grumman G-164

Registration

N703Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Chuck Jones Flying Service, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Butte City → Butte City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX08LA137

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power during takeoff due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to verify the fuel quantity prior to flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Seconds after taking off for an aerial agricultural application flight, the airplane lost all engine power while about 15 feet above the ground. The pilot made a forced landing in a field and the airplane impacted a berm during the landing roll, nosed over, and came to rest in water. Recovery personnel reported finding little evidence of fuel in the area surrounding the airplane, and no fuel in the airplane's tanks. The pilot and operator reported that the airplane should have had 30 gallons of fuel on board during its last refueling, which occurred three application flights prior to the accident flight. The operator also reported that they did not keep fueling records of the individual fueling events when flying from remote locations and an exact amount could not be determined. The Federal Aviation Administration coordinator examined the engine and accessories. He reported finding no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.