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20080322012609A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Scwzer G-164B · Colfax, WA · March 22, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 22, 2008 · 09:17 local
Place
Colfax, WA
Airport
Port Of Whitman Business Air C
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
WB8G
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N63D
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX08CA082
Reported as
Scwzer G164B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,500 total84 in this make and model22 in the last 90 days
N63DRegistration cancelled Sep 25, 2008 · Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164BS/N 301B · Built 1977Airframe modelGrumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164BEngine modelPratt & Whitney R-985 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) At approximately 0917 PDT the pilot performed a downwind take-off from the airport with 1400LBS of dry fertilizer and approximately 65 gallons of jet fuel. Take-off from this airport must be in one direction due to climbing terrain and runway slope. Approximately 1/4 mile from airport, during climb, the pilot turned right and immediately felt a loss of lift situation and a decrease in indicated airspeed. Pilot applied full throttle and full increase prop RPM. He heard engine spool up but felt no change in aircraft flying characteristics. He began dumping the fertilizer and looking for a place to land. He landed the aircraft just past a road going through a fence, hitting a light pole and came to rest 180 degrees from landing direction. It was determined that this high total time pilot had low time in this particular aircraft with no previous experience with local wind, terrain, and weather conditions. At the time he turned the aircraft to the right he encountered a down draft coming off the hills to the east of his position. This downdraft caused him to descend into the valley floor.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 0917 PDT THE PILOT PERFORMED A DOWNWIND TAKE-OFF FROM THE AIRPORT WITH 1400LBS OF DRY FERTILIZER AND APPROXIMATELY 65 GALLONS OF JET FUEL. TAKE-OFF FROM THIS AIRPORT MUST BE IN ONE DIRECTION DUE TO CLIMBING TERRAIN AND RUNWAY SLOPE. APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE FROM AIRPORT, DURING CLIMB, THE PILOT TURNED RIGHT AND IMMEDIATELY FELT A LOSS OF LIFT SITUATION AND A DECREASE IN INDICATED AIRSPEED. PILOT APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND FULL INCREASE PROP RPM. HE HEARD ENGINE SPOOL UP BUT FELT NO CHANGE IN AIRCRAFT FLYING CHARACTERISTICS. HE BEGAN DUMPING THE FERTILIZER AND LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. HE LANDED THE AIRCRAFT JUST PAST A ROAD GOING THROUGH A FENCE, HITTING A LIGHT POLE AND CAME TO REST 180 DEGREES FROM LANDING DIRECTION. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS HIGH TOTAL TIME PILOT HAD LOW TIME IN THIS PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT WITH NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH LOCAL WIND, TERRAIN, AND WEATHER CONDITIONS. AT THE TIME HE TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT HE ENCOUNTERED A DOWN DRAFT COMING OFF THE HILLS TO THE EAST OF HIS POSITION. THIS DOWNDRAFT CAUSED HIM TO DESCEND INTO THE VALLEY FLOOR.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX08CA082Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportColfax, WAThe pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions, failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed that resulted in a stall mush, and, the subsequent failure to maintain terrain and obstacle clearance during the takeoff initial climb.…Mar 22, 2008 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N63D · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19770802021589ALow Level Operations · Tchula, MSAcft remained in service despite history of excessively high oil consumptionAug 2, 1977 · Substantial damage