Grumman G164 N8712H

Summary

On 7 May 2017 at about 18:35 local time, a Grumman G164 registered N8712H, operated by Streeter Racing, was involved in an accident near Madera, California, 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

7 May 2017 at 18:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Madera, California, United States

Nearest airport

Madera Muni (MAE)

Coordinates

36.9864, -120.1125

Aircraft

Grumman G164

Registration

N8712H

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Operator

Streeter Racing

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Madera → Madera

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR17LA100

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s loss of directional control during takeoff with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in a runway excursion and separation of the right landing gear.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that the tailwheel-equipped airplane veered to the left during takeoff on the fourth flight of the day. He applied full right brake and rudder to correct; however, the airplane veered off the runway and the right main landing gear separated from the airframe. The pilot stated that the wind conditions at the time of the accident included a 7 to 10 mph left quartering tailwind with occasional gusts to 12 to 14 mph. A postaccident examination of the right brake revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane incorporated a free-swivel, non-lockable tailwheel assembly; directional control on the ground was accomplished by application of differential braking until adequate airspeed was attained for the rudder to become effective. It is likely that, due to the quartering tailwind, the airplane had not yet attained an adequate airspeed for rudder effectiveness and that the pilot's braking action was insufficient to overcome the left yaw.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.