On March 18, 1992, a Grumman G-164A (registration N5378) operated by Aero AG Services, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Garwood, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A rocker arm failure led to a complete loss of engine power. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a daytime takeoff, complete engine power loss occurred due to rocker arm failure. The pilot landed in a rice paddy, but the airplane struck a dike and nosed over. Most of the chemical load was dumped before landing.
Incident Overview
During a daytime departure, the airplane suffered a complete loss of engine power. The power loss was traced to a rocker arm failure. The pilot executed a forced landing in a rice paddy. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a dike and flipped onto its back.
Sequence of Events
The engine failure occurred at an altitude of approximately 40 feet above ground level. At the time, the airplane was taking off with a high gross weight. Recognizing the emergency, the pilot jettisoned most of the chemical payload before touching down.
Landing and Post-Impact
Despite the successful landing on the soft surface of the rice paddy, the aircraft struck a dike during the rollout. The impact caused the airplane to nose over into an inverted position.
Probable cause
A rocker arm failure led to a complete loss of engine power.