Accident Overview
On June 18, 2014, at approximately 1330 central daylight time, a Grumman G-164B airplane collided with terrain during a forced landing following a partial loss of engine power during takeoff. The commercial pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated by McCormack's Crop Care by Air Inc. under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was conducted without a flight plan. The local flight was departing a private airstrip at the time of the accident.
Sequence of Events
According to a statement provided by the operator, the airplane was departing the private strip when the engine would not produce more than 90% power. Unable to achieve a climb, the pilot performed a forced landing to a road. During the landing roll, the airplane slid to the side of the road and impacted a ditch, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
Post-Accident Investigation
The airplane was recovered and sent for repairs with the agreement that the investigator in charge would be informed of the maintenance results. The engine was removed from the airplane and sent to an unknown vendor for repair. The operator of the airplane has since gone out of business, and the disposition and location of the engine could not be determined. Honeywell could not find any recent maintenance activity reported on the accident engine. The reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.