N48456

On July 3, 2000, at 0945 hours Pacific daylight time, a Grumman G-164B, N48456, was destroyed when the engine lost power on takeoff and the airplane crashed and burned in a field, 5 miles south of King City, California. The airplane, operated by Soilserv, Inc, under 14 CFR Part 137, was engaged in agricultural aerial application. The commercial certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The takeoff was from an unimproved airstrip following reloading and refueling of the aircraft.

According to the pilot, he had flown about 4 hours in the airplane earlier that morning. No discrepancies were noted. After reloading and refueling the airplane, he flew about 2 or 3 miles to the field he was to spray and completed three spray passes. As he started the fourth pass, about 50 - 100 yards into the field, the engine "sputtered" and lost power. The pilot pulled up toward a nearby open field but realized, because of the heavy weight of the aircraft, he couldn't make the field and turned to land on a field perimeter road. He landed tail high (2-point) and, as the tail came down, the wingtip hit an embankment on the right side and the airplane veered into the bank and came to rest. The pilot extricated himself and a postcrash fire ensued, which consumed the airplane.

An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration San Jose Flight Standards District Office examined the fuel truck that serviced the airplane and reported that the truck appeared well maintained and a fuel sample from the truck appeared clear and usable. No fuel sample remained in the aircraft after the fire.

The aircraft was a total loss and no further examination was made to determine the cause of the engine failure.