Accident Summary
On August 9, 2024, about 1600 central daylight time, a Grumman G-164A, registration N6569, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Dyess, Arkansas. The pilot was seriously injured. The flight operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that after departing the grass strip, the engine was performing normally. About half a mile from the strip, the airplane had climbed to 120 feet above ground level, when the pilot could no longer climb or maintain level flight. The pilot maneuvered the airplane below power lines, and the landing gear contacted a rice field. The airplane settled into the rice and abruptly nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.
Weight and Balance
According to the pilot’s weight and balance calculation, at the time of the accident the airplane was about 350 pounds under the maximum gross weight.
Engine History
The engine had accumulated 9,652 hours total time in service, and about 1,338 hours since overhaul. The pilot reported that he experienced a similar partial loss of engine power about a week before the accident, but was able to continue flight by jettisoning the load. No maintenance actions were recorded following this event.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the engine at a radial engine repair facility found that the carburetor was seized and the left magneto would not produce spark when rotated, while the right magneto produced spark. The cause of the left magneto malfunction was not determined. The carburetor was sent to an accessory shop for examination. Disassembly revealed that the economizer needle was the incorrect part. Additionally, the graphite packing was excessively tight, which affected the needle spring’s ability to properly seat the needle in a downward position. A needle allowed to remain in an upward position would result in an overly rich mixture.
Maintenance Logs
A review of the maintenance logbooks found that the carburetor was overhauled and installed back on the engine on August 22, 2023, at a tachometer time of 1,271 hours. The most recent inspection was a combined annual and 100-hour inspection logged on December 10, 2023. The airplane had flown about 38 hours since those inspections.