Pilot Debrief

GRUMMAN G164 near Chestertown, MD — 2016-09-18

Final reportERA16LA319
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Date
2016-09-18
Location
Chestertown, MD, USA
Aircraft
GRUMMAN G164
Registration
N75EP
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

Loss of engine power due to a failure of the No. 3 cylinder head, which resulted in a forced landing and collision with ground equipment.

NTSB narrative

The day before the accident, the pilot was performing aerial application work when he noticed a significant loss of engine power and made an emergency landing in a corn field. Maintenance personnel inspected the engine and replaced the No. 2 cylinder, test ran the engine, and returned the airplane to service. The following day, the pilot ran the engine for several minutes before flight to ensure that it was operating normally. Experiencing no anomalous behavior, the pilot conducted a short-field takeoff, but immediately after rotation and during initial climb, the engine lost partial power. The pilot was unable to climb or maintain altitude and the airplane settled back onto the ground before colliding with farm equipment. Postaccident examination revealed that the No. 3 cylinder failed catastrophically. The failed accident cylinder was not examined in detail, and the manner in which the failure occurred was not determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Inspection of No. 2 cylinder not documented as per AD before replacement.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

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