Grumman G164 N7501Z accident near Delaplaine, Arkansas

Probable cause

The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted in a forced landing on unsuitable terrain.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot was conducting an aerial application flight. He was approaching a rice field after loading product at the company base when the engine lost partial power. The pilot executed a forced landing into the rice field; the right main landing gear struck a levee, and the airplane flipped inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane or engine and did not show any evidence of fuel. Although the top fuel tank was breached in the accident, the green grass around and underneath the wreckage did not show any evidence of fuel contamination or blight. It is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN17LA230 for the full record.