N654U – GRUMMAN G164 – 2010-04-22 NTSB Accident Report

On April 22, 2010, a Grumman G164 (N654U) was involved in an incident near Hampton, GA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: A total loss of engine power during a go-around due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight planning.

The pilot stated that he departed on the 2.5-hour banner tow flight with 3 hours of fuel on board. After completing the banner tow, he began the return flight to the airport and noticed that the fuel level was "lower than expected." The pilot attempted to conserve fuel by "slowing down and bringing the mixture back." After dropping the banner at the destination airport, the pilot applied full power to conduct a go-around, and the engine "lost power." The pilot attempted to land in the grass past the end of the runway, but had "too much momentum." The airplane traveled down an embankment, contacted a ditch, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures. The horizontal stabilizer and rudder sustained substantial damage.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA10CA240. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N654U.