Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164 N8405K

Summary

On 31 May 2023 at about 22:30 local time, a Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164 registered N8405K, operated by MJ Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Saffell, Arkansas, 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

31 May 2023 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Saffell, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

35.9341, -91.2504

Aircraft

Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164

Registration

N8405K

Category

Airplane

Year built

1982

Engines

1

Operator

MJ Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA228

Nobody was injured.

The airplane’s encounter with a dust devil after takeoff, which resulted in a loss of lift, and a subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the presence of a dust devil in the airplane’s flight path.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff on an aerial application flight to apply fertilizer to rice fields in a remote area the airplane unknowingly flew through a dust devil (also called a whirlwind), and subsequently lost lift. The pilot estimated the dust devil was between 8 to 10 ft in diameter and reported no visible debris. The airplane subsequently impacted a dirt ditch, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The pilot was able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount, the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage. The operator reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he had encountered several dust devils in earlier flights that day for the operating area. The pilot did not perform a hopper load dump during the accident sequence, as he reported flying the airplane was the priority. A review of the Federal Aviation Administration Aviation (FAA) Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28) and the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual found no detailed information listed about dust devils or the potential hazards of flying through dust devils.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.