Incident Overview
On July 30, 2012, at approximately 1500 mountain daylight time, a Grumman-Schweizer G-164B agricultural airplane, registration N6676Q, experienced a loss of engine power near Big Springs, Nebraska. The commercial rated pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured during the forced landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage.
Flight Details
The airplane was owned and operated by Downs Farm Inc. of Lindsay, Montana, and was conducting an agricultural flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, which operated without a flight plan.
Pilot Report
According to the pilot, he was climbing for cruise flight and had adjusted the engine for a cruise power setting when the engine lost power. He conducted a forced landing into a corn field, and the airplane came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that the fuel tanks were approximately three-quarters full.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector responded to the accident site. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the airframe, and the engine was nearly separated from the airframe due to impact forces.
Engine Control Reversal
The airplane's engine had previously been converted to another version of the engine. As a result of the conversion, the airplane was equipped with a different throttle quadrant, and the engine controls were reversed from the previous propeller and mixture layout. The pilot stated that while adjusting the engine for cruise flight, he inadvertently shut the engine off. Unable to restart the engine, he elected to conduct a forced landing. The inspector noted that this was the pilot's first spray season.