Grumman G-164C N171BW

Summary

On 8 May 2017 at about 16:30 local time, a Grumman G-164C registered N171BW was involved in an accident near Beech Grove, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 May 2017 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Beech Grove, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

36.0842, -90.7481

Aircraft

Grumman G-164C

Registration

N171BW

Category

Airplane

Year built

2009

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Beech Grove → Beech Grove

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN17LA177

Nobody was injured.

A tire failure for reasons that could not be determined, which resulted in a loss of directional control during takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll, the right main tire "went flat and possibly blew." The airplane veered right and went off the side of the runway, where it impacted a ditch, bounced, turned sideways, and slid to a stop. The pilot saw fuel running out of the engine compartment and the airplane caught fire. The airplane continued to burn, and the engine compartment, cockpit, fuselage, empennage, and left wing were largely consumed by fire. The photographs taken of the wreckage at the accident site revealed that the airplane, including the main landing gear wheels, brakes, and tires, were largely consumed by fire, and fire damage precluded examination or testing of the wheels, brakes, and tires.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.