Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Chorman Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Farmington, Delaware 19942
Wednesday, June 18, 2014 19:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On June 18, 2014, about 1930 eastern daylight time, a Grumman Aircraft G-164B, N891JC, impacted the ground during a forced landing after a partial loss of engine power near Chorman Airport (D74), Farmington, Delaware. The airplane was owned and operated by Chorman Spraying, LLC as an aerial application flight. The commercial pilot received minor injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight, which was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to the pilot, he had flown the airplane in the morning and had returned to the airport about 1900 to load the hopper tank with insecticide and water for a flight to a nearby watermelon farm. After loading the product and fueling the airplane, he taxied out, performed the required pre-takeoff checklist items, and then departed to the north. After departure, he maneuvered the airplane in order to climb out to the right of the runway's extended centerline to avoid overflying a residence. Approximately 150 feet above ground level, he commanded a slight left bank towards the west and immediately the airplane started to "settle." The pilot leveled the wings; however, the airplane started an uncommanded right bank "similar to entering a stall." He attempted to pull the product "dump" handle, but inadvertently activated the "spray" handle. He then attempted to pull the dump handle again, but was unable to do so due to the airplane's close proximity to the ground. The airplane subsequently impacted a field, nosed over, and came to rest inverted.
According to the operator, the airplane was fueled with 80 gallons of fuel and had 250 gallons of product in the hopper tank just prior to departure.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector following the airplane's recovery from the field revealed that the airplane's fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder were substantially damaged. Rotation of the engine by hand was accomplished utilizing the propeller hub, which revealed continuity through the engine and thumb compression on some of the cylinders. However, there was no rotation through the supercharger and the impeller was not rotating.
The engine was retained for further investigation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/18/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1930 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Farmington |
| Event State | DELAWARE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 19942 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 385035N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0753628W |
| Event Location Airport | CHORMAN |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | D74 |
| 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 | 149 |
| Airport Elevation | 66 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1854 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 128 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KGED |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 51 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 20 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| 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) | 29.96 |
| 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) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | Philadelphia FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 8 2014 4:19PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N891JC |
| NTSB Number | ERA14LA321 |
| 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-SCHWEIZER |
| Aircraft Model | G 164B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 193B |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7564 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 8 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 146 |
| Airframe Hours | 12108 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CHORMAN SPRAYING LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | MILTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 199683457 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | CHORMAN SPRAYING LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | GREENWOOD |
| Operator State | DE |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 19950 |
| Operator Code | KVFG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | KVFG886F |
| 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 | D74 |
| Departure City | Farmington |
| Departure State | DE |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1830 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | D74 |
| Destination City | Farmington |
| Destination State | DE |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 8 2014 4:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 3588 |
| Runway Width | 37 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |