Schweizer G-164B N629EH

Summary

On 26 July 2022 at about 18:30 local time, a Schweizer G-164B registered N629EH, operated by Thunder Valley AG Aviation, was involved in an accident near Knox, Indiana, 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

26 July 2022 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Knox, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

41.2944, -86.6201

Aircraft

Schweizer G-164B

Registration

N629EH

Category

Airplane

Year built

1991

Engines

1

Operator

Thunder Valley AG Aviation

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA349

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aerial application flight, which was operated within the load limitations of the airplane, was the pilot’s 5th flight of that day. The pilot stated that shortly after takeoff, about 15 ft above ground level (agl), the airplane would not continue to climb. The pilot advanced the throttle, but the engine did not seem to respond. The airplane was in a nose-high attitude when the right wing impacted a corn field near the end of the grass airstrip. The airplane came to rest in the corn field and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Postaccident examination of the engine and accessories revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Earthen debris within the engine, internal rotational scoring, and the exhaust duct torsional buckling were consistent with engine operation at the time of impact. Some contaminants were noted within the engine accessories; however, these contaminants were consistent with environmental exposure during the impact sequence and the presence of rust due to the length of time between the accident and subsequent examinations. The reason for the reported partial loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.