Grumman G-164B N8005C

Summary

On 12 July 1999 at about 22:00 local time, a Grumman G-164B registered N8005C, operated by Mike Carr, was involved in an accident near Paul, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 July 1999 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Paul, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Rocky Ridge Airstrip

Coordinates

42.6600, -113.8098

Aircraft

Grumman G-164B

Registration

N8005C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Mike Carr

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA99LA115

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed during takeoff and initial climb, resulting in stall/mush and inability of the aircraft to sustain level flight. Factors included high density altitude, a tailwind, an uphill takeoff surface, and crops in the area where the aircraft settled back to earth.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot took off with 1,700 pounds of fertilizer (within the airplane's maximum demonstrated operating load) and approximately 3/4 fuel on an aerial application flight. The airstrip the pilot took off from slopes uphill at the end. The pilot stated that at an altitude of 5 to 10 feet above the ground after takeoff, 'a tailwind came up' and he was unable to stay airborne. The aircraft settled into a wheat field and flipped over approximately 500 feet past the end of the airstrip. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunction or failure was involved in the accident. He reported the accident site was 4,300 feet above sea level, and that temperature at the time of takeoff was 92 degrees F. Density altitude at this pressure altitude and temperature was 7,500 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.