Grumman G-164 N949X

Summary

On 27 July 1995 at about 17:30 local time, a Grumman G-164 registered N949X was involved in an accident near Park River, North Dakota, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 July 1995 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Park River, North Dakota, United States

Coordinates

48.3909, -97.7391

Aircraft

Grumman G-164

Registration

N949X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI95LA250

Nobody was injured.

the loss of power due to the primary lead in the left magneto being grounded against the case, and the improper clearance of the breaker point gaps. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain on which to perform the forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the engine run-up, magneto check, and takeoff were normal. He reported that the engine started to pop and shake when he reduced engine power to 2050 RPM's. He applied full throttle but the engine failed to produce additional power. The airplane began to lose altitude and airspeed. An emergency landing was performed into a reservoir. The first post accident engine run was unsuccessful. The left and right magneto breaker point gaps were found set at .003 of an inch instead of .009 of an inch as required. Also the primary lead in the left magneto was grounded against the case and distributor cover. After the two discrepancies were corrected, the engine started and ran to 2050 RPM.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.