Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfLA
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Saturday, July 02, 2016 in Laurel, DE
Probable Cause Approval Date: 07/20/2017
Aircraft: GRUMMAN ACFT ENG COR-SCHWEIZER G-164, registration: N6781K
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The commercial pilot was completing the last pass of an aerial application flight between 20 and 60 ft above the ground when he heard a “loud bang” followed by a loss of engine power. He turned the airplane into the wind and set up for a forced landing in a corn field. The airplane landed on the corn and soft soil and nosed over, resulting in structural damage to the upper wing, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. Examination revealed that a bird struck the spray pump fan assembly, shattering the blades and sending blade fragments through the lower engine cowling. The blade fragments struck the engine throttle linkage, bending and rotating it to the idle/cutoff position, which resulted in the total loss of engine power.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
A total loss of engine power due to an encounter with a bird, which collided with the spray pump fan assembly and subsequently sent blade fragments into the engine compartment, damaging the throttle linkage.
On July 2, 2016, at 1030 eastern daylight time, a Grumman G-164B, N6781K, was substantially damaged when it nosed over following a forced landing to a farm field in Laurel, Delaware. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to the pilot and operated by Air Enterprises LLC under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that originated from Johnsons Airport, Magnolia, Delaware (DE09), about 1000.
The pilot reported that he was making the last application pass about 20 to 60 feet above the ground when he heard a "loud bang" followed by a loss of engine power. He turned about 40 to 60 degrees to the left, into the wind, and set up for a forced landing in a corn field. The airplane landed on the corn and soft soil and nosed over.
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land, airplane single-engine land, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot held a first class medical certificate and reported 6,700 total hours of flying experience, including 5,000 hours in the accident airplane's make and model.
An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. Structural damage to the upper wing and vertical stabilizer and rudder was confirmed. Further examination revealed that the spray pump fan assembly was shattered, and pieces of the wooden fan blades penetrated the lower engine cowling. Bird feathers were also found inside the engine compartment, adjacent to the fan blade pieces. There was impact damage to the engine throttle linkage, which resulted in it bending and rotating to the idle/cutoff position.
On July 2, 2016, at 1030 eastern daylight time, a Grumman G-164B, N6781K, was substantially damaged when it nosed over following a forced landing to a farm field in Laurel, Delaware. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to the pilot and operated by Air Enterprises LLC under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that originated from Johnsons Airport, Magnolia, Delaware (DE09), about 1000.
The pilot reported that he was making the last application pass about 20 to 60 feet above the ground when he heard a "loud bang" followed by a loss of engine power. He turned about 40 to 60 degrees to the left, into the wind, and set up for a forced landing in a corn field. The airplane landed on the corn and soft soil and nosed over.
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land, airplane single-engine land, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot held a first class medical certificate and reported 6,700 total hours of flying experience, including 5,000 hours in the accident airplane's make and model.
An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. Structural damage to the upper wing and vertical stabilizer and rudder was confirmed. Further examination revealed that the spray pump fan assembly was shattered, and pieces of the wooden fan blades penetrated the lower engine cowling. Bird feathers were also found inside the engine compartment, adjacent to the fan blade pieces. There was impact damage to the engine throttle linkage, which resulted in it bending and rotating to the idle/cutoff position. The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
NTSB Identification: ERA16LA242
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Saturday, July 02, 2016 in Laurel, DE
Aircraft: GRUMMAN ACFT ENG COR-SCHWEIZER G-164, registration: N6781K
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On July 2, 2016, at 1030 eastern daylight time, a Grumman G-164B, N6781K, was substantially damaged when it nosed over following a forced landing to a farm field in Laurel, Delaware. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to the pilot and operated by Air Enterprises LLC under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that originated from Johnsons Airport, Magnolia, Delaware (DE09), about 1000.
The pilot reported that he was making the last application pass about 20 to 60 feet above the ground when he heard a "loud bang" followed by a loss of engine power. He turned about 40 to 60 degrees to the left, into the wind, and set up for a forced landing in a corn field. The airplane landed on the corn and soft soil and nosed over.
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land, airplane single-engine land, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot held a first class medical certificate and reported 6,700 total hours of flying experience, including 5,000 hours in the accident airplane's make and model.
An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. Structural damage to the upper wing and vertical stabilizer and rudder was confirmed. Further examination revealed that the spray pump fan assembly was shattered, and pieces of the wooden fan blades penetrated the lower engine cowling. Bird feathers were also found inside the engine compartment, adjacent to the fan blade pieces. There was impact damage to the engine throttle linkage, which resulted in it bending and rotating to the idle/cutoff position.
Emergency responders were called to the scene of a small plane crash in a Laurel cornfield Saturday morning.
State Police Master Cpl. Jeffrey Hale said the pilot of the plane landed the aircraft in a field off East Trap Pond Road and Johnson Road around 10:30 a.m. The pilot was the only person in the plane and was uninjured, Hale said.
Justin Hoffman, 39, of Middletown, was flying a Grumman G-164B Super Ag Cat and was spraying watermelon fields in the area of East Trap Pond Road and Johnson Road, Laurel, Hale said.
After making a spray run, the engine to the plane lost power and Hoffman attempted to make an emergency landing in an adjacent corn field, Hale said.
As Hoffman landed the plane in the soft soil, the nose of the aircraft dug into the ground causing the aircraft to roll onto its roof.
The investigation into this incident was turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Robbie Murray, Operations Division manager at Sussex County EMS, said the initial report was the aircraft's engine had failed in flight. He said paramedics arrived to find the pilot walking around the cornfield.
The pilot was not hospitalized, Murray said.
Original article can be found here: http://www.delawareonline.com
LAUREL, Del. - A small plane made an emergency crash landing in a Laurel corn field after an engine on the Crop Duster plane apparently failed. Investigators say around 10:30 Saturday morning, a 39 year old man identified as Justin Hoffman of Middletown was spraying watermelon fields in the area of East Trap Pond Road and Johnson Road in Laurel.
Delaware State Police say after making a spray run the engine lost power, forcing Hoffman to make an emergency landing in an adjacent field. However officials say the soft soil in the field gave way to the planes nose, which dug into the ground causing the plane to roll upside down.
Police say Hoffman was able to walk away from the crash with only minor injuries. The investigation has been turned over to the FAA.
Original article can be found here: http://www.wmdt.com
LAUREL, DE – The Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating a crash involving a small airplane late Saturday morning in Laurel.
Delaware State Police initially reported that the incident occurred at approximately 10:34 a.m., as Justin Hoffman, 39, of Middletown, DE, was flying a Grumman G-164B Super Ag Cat and was spraying watermelon fields in the area of East Trap Pond Road and Johnson Road, Laurel.
After making a spray run the engine to the plane lost power and Hoffman attempted to make an emergency landing in an adjacent corn field, according to police.
As Hoffman landed the plane in the soft soil, the nose of the aircraft dug into the ground causing the aircraft to roll onto its roof.
Hoffman, who was the sole occupant of the plane, was able to walk away with only minor injuries.
Original article can be found here: http://www.fox29.com
LAUREL, Del.- Delaware State Police responded to a crash involving a small airplane Saturday morning in Laurel.
Police say Justin Hoffman, 39, of Middletown, DE, was flying a Grumman G-164B Bi-Wing Crop Duster and was spraying watermelon fields in the area of East Trap Pond Road and Johnson Road.
After making a spray run, police say the engine to the plane lost power and Hoffman attempted to make an emergency landing in a corn field. As Hoffman landed the plane in the soft soil, police say the nose of the aircraft dug into the ground causing the aircraft to roll onto its roof. Hoffman, who was the sole occupant of the plane, was able to walk away with only minor injuries.
The investigation into this incident was turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Original article can be found here: http://www.wboc.com
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