On October 30, 1986, a Grumman G164B (registration N6608Q) was involved in an aviation accident near Memphis, MO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Positive battery cable shorted against metal battery case, causing the cable to burn and battery case and battery to melt. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aerial application aircraft made a precautionary landing on a blacktop road after smoke entered the cockpit. The road was inadequate, causing the aircraft to flip forward to an inverted position. Post-accident inspection revealed a shorted positive battery cable.
Incident Details
An aerial application aircraft was en route to seed a wheat field when smoke entered the cockpit. The pilot performed a precautionary landing on a blacktop road, which was the best available landing area but was not adequate for the aircraft. During the landing, the aircraft flipped forward to an inverted position.
Post-Accident Inspection
Following the accident, an inspection was conducted. The inspection indicated that the positive battery cable had shorted against the metal battery case. This resulted in the cable burning and the battery case and battery melting.
The aircraft was engaged in aerial application operations at the time of the incident. No further details were provided.
Probable cause
Positive battery cable shorted against metal battery case, causing the cable to burn and battery case and battery to melt.