Grumman G-164A N5339

Summary

On 23 June 2004 at about 14:40 local time, a Grumman G-164A registered N5339 was involved in an accident near Hutchinson, Minnesota, 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

23 June 2004 at 14:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Hutchinson, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Hutchinson Municipal Airport (HCD)

Coordinates

44.8600, -94.3825

Aircraft

Grumman G-164A

Registration

N5339

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hutchinson → Hutchinson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI04CA163

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the low altitude turn after takeoff. A factor to the accident was the low altitude and the swampy terrain condition.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane impacted swampy terrain while maneuvering during initial climb. The pilot reported that after takeoff, while on initial climb out of ground effect, he decided to turn from a northwest heading to the east. The pilot stated he saw obstacles ahead of the airplane while on an easterly heading, so he decided to continue the turn to the south to avoid them. The pilot reported that during the turn the airplane descended into the swamp. The pilot did not report experiencing any malfunctions or failures with the airframe or its engine. The pilot stated the accident could have been prevented by "more airspeed over wings."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.