Grumman G-164A N4638
20 July 2012 · Fergus Falls, Minnesota, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 20 July 2012 at about 01:00 local time, a Grumman G-164A registered N4638, operated by West Central Ag-Air Inc, was involved in an accident near Fergus Falls, Minnesota, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 01:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fergus Falls, Minnesota, United States
- Coordinates
- 46.2839, -96.1539
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164A
- Registration
- N4638
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- West Central Ag-Air Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Wheaton → Dumont
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN12LA491
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power due to a cracked No. 2 cylinder head.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was spraying a large corn field when he saw a puff of white smoke come from the engine. He turned toward a road, but about half way through the turn, the engine lost all power. The pilot jettisoned the chemical load and landed in the corn field. Examination of the radial engine revealed the No. 2 cylinder head was cracked. A review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that a mandatory Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Directive that required a 100-hour visual inspection to prevent cylinder head cracking, had been complied with at the last annual inspection, but no entries were made that any cracks were observed.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Grumman G-164A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jul 2012 | Grumman G-164A | Egeland, North Dakota, United States | Nathan Murdoch | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jun 2012 | Grumman G-164A | Riverton, Wyoming, United States | Sky Aviation Corp | No injuries | - |
| 6 Sep 2013 | Grumman G-164A | Atlantic, Iowa, United States | Shenandoah Flight Service Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 2011 | Grumman G-164A | Buttonwillow, California, United States | Vince Dusters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2013 | Grumman G-164A | Monte Vista, Colorado, United States | Crop Care Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 29 Apr 2011 | Grumman G-164A | Albion, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul 2012 | Mikoyan Gurevich MIG 21MF | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | Ward William E | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 2012 | Airbus A320-212 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | Delta Air Lines Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Dec 2012 | Cessna 172M | Rochester, Minnesota, United States | Southeastern Minnesota Flying Club, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 2012 | Mooney M20K | Hutchinson, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2012 | Top Dog TD2 | Bemidji, Minnesota, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 2 Oct 2012 | Cirrus SR20 | Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States | Hummingbird Ventures LLC | No injuries | - |