Grumman-Schweizer G164-B N8285K

Summary

On 26 May 1999 at about 10:55 local time, a Grumman-Schweizer G164-B registered N8285K was involved in an accident near Brinkley, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 May 1999 at 10:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Brinkley, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

34.8800, -91.1794

Aircraft

Grumman-Schweizer G164-B

Registration

N8285K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Brinkley → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

FTW99FA150

1 person died.

The pilot's inadvertent VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing factors were the pilots failure to maintain control of the aircraft, spatial disorientation, and the fog.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument rated commercial pilot lost control of the agricultural airplane after an inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions shortly after takeoff. According to the operator, the airplane departed to the west, and approximately two minutes later the pilot radioed that he was 'disoriented.' The operator stated that 'apparently [he] was trapped behind a fog bank.' A witness, who is an agricultural pilot, reported that at the time of the accident he observed ceilings between 100-150 feet agl and a fog bank, which extended from the northwest to southeast, west of the airport. Another witness located 200 yards from the accident site reported that he heard the airplane, but due to the fog he could not see the airplane until the time of impact. He added that the visibility was 500 yards at the time of the accident. Two nearby weather observation facilities reported temperature-dewpoint spreads of 1 degree and 3 degrees, and both reported mist at the time of the accident. An examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation of the engine and airframe at the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.