Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Shelley, Idaho 83402
Wednesday, July 3, 2002 20:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot had just commenced a spray run when there was an abrupt loss of power accompanied by engine roughness and vibration. Unable to maintain flight, the pilot executed a forced landing into the field being sprayed, landing across the rough, furrowed terrain. Post crash examination revealed that the top of the number five cylinder had separated from the lower half of the cylinder. Further metallurgical examination revealed that the cylinder split circumferentially due to fatigue which originated at the first and second thread roots of the cylinder threads on the inside of the cylinder head. Dimensional examination revealed that the threads between the cylinder base and head had been improperly machined resulting in the cylinder's abutting surfaces not coming into complete contact during assembly of the two components.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to the manufacturer's improperly machined threads, which prevented the cylinder base/head halves from being properly assembled, leading to fatigue propagation and the ultimate separation of the cylinder. A contributing factor was the rough terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/3/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2030 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Shelley |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83402 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 432700N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1121000W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2053 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 40 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IDA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4740 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.03 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15237 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SLC FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 5 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1308 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 30 2004 8:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA SALT LAKE CITY FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N297AL |
| NTSB Number | SEA02LA121 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Grumman-Schweizer |
| Aircraft Model | G-164B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 188B |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7020 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 120 |
| Airframe Hours | 6500 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Nef Flying Service, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 822 Buckboard Lane |
| Aircraft Owner City | Idaho Falls |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83402 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3440 South 200 East |
| Operator City | Salt Lake City |
| Operator State | UT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 84115 |
| Operator Code | N4FG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Shelley |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2010 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| 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 | Maneuvering - aerial application |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 22 2004 3:56PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |