Accident Overview
On April 23, 2010, at 1330 Pacific daylight time, a Grumman Aircraft Engineering G164A (registration N4450) experienced a loss of engine power while in flight. The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing approximately two miles north of Madera Municipal Airport in Madera, California. The commercial pilot, who was operating under 14 CFR Part 91, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the positioning flight.
Flight Details
The pilot had recently purchased the airplane and was ferrying it from Lodi Airport in Lodi, California, to Shirley Williams Airport in Kingsland, Texas, with a planned fuel stop at Fresno Chandler Executive Airport in Fresno, California. After departing Lodi, the pilot made a fuel stop and then flew for about one hour when the engine lost power. The airplane was at 1,500 feet above ground level in cruise flight when the power loss occurred. The pilot advanced the engine and propeller controls and searched for a landing area. He attempted to reach Madera Municipal Airport but ultimately force-landed the airplane in a pistachio orchard, where it came to rest inverted. The pilot had flown a total of 1.8 hours since his initial departure. The last annual inspection had been completed in January 2010, and the airplane had not been flown since that time.
Examination and Testing
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airframe and engine with a representative from Pratt and Whitney. The exhaust turbine wheel rotated freely, and manual rotation of the engine produced no unusual sounds from the power or compressor turbines. The main fuel filter was removed and showed no water or other contamination. The fuel selector was found in the "On" position, with difficulty noted in rotating it from "On" to "Off". The fuel control unit and fuel pump were removed and sent to Pratt and Whitney Canada for further examination and testing.
Representatives from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and Pratt and Whitney examined the fuel control unit and fuel pump. Trace amounts of contaminants were found in the fuel pump inlet and outlet filter. However, testing of the fuel control unit and fuel pump revealed no mechanical anomalies.