Dodge City Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Dodge City, Kansas 67801
Wednesday, April 1, 1987 12:25 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING NORMALLY WHEN HE ESTABLISHED HIMSELF ON FINAL APPROACH FOR RWY 32. WINDS WERE FROM THE NORTHEAST AT 25 KTS, THE PILOT FURTHER STATED, SO HE ABANDONED THE APPROACH AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CIRCLING THE FIELD FOR A LANDING ON RWY 02 WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN LOSING POWER. ACCORDING TO A MECHANIC-WITNESS ON THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE 'SOUNDED BAD--LIKE A BLOWER FAILURE', AS IT FLEW OVER THE HANGAR WHILE CIRCLING FOR ANOTHER APPROACH. AT THIS POINT, THE WITNESS FURTHER STATED, THE ENGINE BEGAN BELCHING SMOKE AND TOTALLY LOST POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A RETURN TO THE FIELD BUT HE RAN OUT OF ALTITUDE--AND WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A FIELD ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED UPON TOUCHDOWN, THEN NOSED OVER. A POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE POWERPLANT REVEALED THAT A BLOWER BEARING HAD FAILED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/1/1987
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1225
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City DODGE CITY
Event State KANSAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 67801
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport DODGE CITY MUNI
Event Location Nearest Airport ID DDC
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1237 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 40
Weather Observation Facility ID DDC
Elevation of weather observation facility 2594
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 8
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 10
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 25
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 30
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 3000
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1303
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 1 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1520
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 34660
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:18PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N48564
NTSB Number MKC87LA072
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 137: Agricultural
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name GRUMMAN-SCHWEIZER
Aircraft Model G-164A
Aircraft Series Identifier G-164A
Aircraft Serial Number 1675
Certified Max Gross Weight 6075
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ERHART AERIAL SPRAYING, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 1163
Aircraft Owner City DODGE CITY
Aircraft Owner State KS
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 67801
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Agriculture
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Unknown
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Unknown
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Unknown
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Aerial Application
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code DDC
Departure City DODGE CITY
Departure State KS
Departure Country
Departure Time 1100
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --