N703YGrumman G-164 · 1963

On May 5, 2008, about 1810 Pacific daylight time, a Grumman G-164, N703Y, experienced a total loss of engine power seconds after taking off from a grass airstrip about 4 miles north-northeast of Butte City, California. The airplane had reached an altitude about 15 feet above the ground when the commercial pilot heard a "pop" noise. The pilot made a forced landing on the field. During rollout, the airplane impacted a dirt berm, nosed over, and came to rest in shallow water. The airplane's fuselage and empennage were broken, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The agricultural application flight was commencing at the time of the mishap. Chuck Jones Flying Service, Inc., Biggs, California, owned and operated the airplane. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137.

The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that, prior to the accident, the airplane had been operating normally. On the accident flight, the pilot was planning to seed a nearby field with rice when the engine suddenly lost all power. The accident was reported to the Safety Board investigator on May 12, 2008.

At the direction of the Safety Board investigator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) coordinator performed an examination of the engine. In summary, the crankshaft was rotated and "thumb" compression was found "satisfactory" in all cylinders. The magnetos were found correctly timed and produced spark upon rotation. The carburetor was found free of obstructions. According to the FAA coordinator, no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction was found.

In the pilot's completed "Aircraft Accident Report," he indicated that the airplane should have had 30 gallons of fuel on board during takeoff for the flight. According to the crew that recovered the airplane from the accident site, they were unable to confirm the presence of fuel in the tanks. Also, they did not smell fuel around the airplane, and very small amounts of fuel were observed in the standing, 6- to 12-inch-deep water around the airplane.

The operator reported that the company does not keep fueling records of the individual fueling events when flying from remote locations. The airplane had flown on three application flights since its last refueling. There was no way of telling how much fuel was delivered during the last refueling.