On March 5, 1990, a Grumman G-164A (registration N5416) operated by Howard Flying Service, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Mattson, MS. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The cracking of the No. 6 cylinder across the top from one spark plug hole to the other, which resulted in the loss of engine power. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Aircraft experienced engine power loss shortly after takeoff during agricultural operations. The pilot executed a forced landing in a plowed field, resulting in the aircraft nosing over.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported that the engine lost power. The pilot then dumped the load of chemical and after touchdown in the plowed field during the forced landing, the acft nosey over.
Examination of the engine revealed that the No. 6 cylinder cracked across the top from one spark plug hole to the other. This resulted in the loss of power.
The cracking of the No. 6 cylinder across the top from one spark plug hole to the other, which resulted in the loss of engine power.