Accident Overview
On August 29, 2011, at approximately 1745 central daylight time, a Grumman Aircraft Eng G-164A, registration N48378, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Monette, Arkansas. The aircraft was operated by Tri-Air LLC under 14 CFR Part 137 as an aerial application flight. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
Accident Details
According to the pilot, after takeoff, when the airplane was about 150 feet above ground level, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot executed a forced landing to a cotton field. During the landing rollout, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination revealed that the throttle cable had separated near the carburetor. The cable was removed and examined at the National Transportation Safety Board's materials laboratory. The examination determined that the throttle cable fractured due to tensile overstress, associated with wear damage consistent with a sharp bend in the cable trajectory. No other mechanical discrepancies were noted that would have contributed to the partial loss of engine power.