Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Low Level Strip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
La Salle, Colorado 80645
Wednesday, August 1, 2012 9:20 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that shortly after takeoff for the aerial application flight, the airplane’s engine ”popped and banged.” The pilot decided to jettison the airplane’s load and return to land at the departure airport. However, while returning to the airport, the engine began to surge repeatedly between full power and a total loss of power, and the pilot decided to land in a nearby alfalfa field, where the airplane nosed over during the forced landing. Examination of the engine revealed that a screw that secured the distributor rotor to the brass gear had come out, which resulted in the detached rotor moving loosely inside the magneto. Internal damage to the rotor and magneto was consistent with the rotor rubbing inside of the magneto. This distributor rotor separation and subsequent movement most likely resulted in the rough running engine and the subsequent loss of engine power.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of engine power due to the detached distributor rotor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/1/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 920 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | La Salle |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80645 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 402019N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1044004W |
| Event Location Airport | Low Level Strip |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4710 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 915 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 5 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KGXY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4697 |
| 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) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.12 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KGXY 011535Z AUTO 28005KT 10SM CLR 26/13 A3012 RMK |
| 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) | 30867 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ANM Regl Opns Center - Sea |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 31 2012 12:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bakd |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9822 |
| NTSB Number | CEN12LA513 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GRUMMAN ACFT ENG COR |
| Aircraft Model | G-164A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1282 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| 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 | Jul 28 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 7430 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LOW LEVEL DUSTING CO INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 119 2ND ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | LA SALLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80645 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | LOW LEVEL DUSTING CO INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 119 2ND ST |
| Operator City | LA SALLE |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 80645 |
| Operator Code | NBRG |
| 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 | NBRG658G |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | La Salle |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 920 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | La Salle |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 12 2012 3:44PM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 2800 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |