What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 06/25/2024, at approximately 1300 hours MST, a Grumman agcat (G-164 biplane), was involved in a fatal accident during maneuvering operations. The purpose of the flight was pilot familiarization (fam flight). Pilot was being trained for part 137 operations. No VFR flight plan was filed for this local flight. The flight originated from the Dona Ana county international jetport airport in Dona Ana, NM (kdna). This was the pilots first flight in a turbine powered airplane. The pilot departed the airport and left the traffic pattern for the purposes of aircraft familiarization.
The pilot texted privacy data omitted regarding some unusual vibrations in the aircraft.
A local resident who lived several miles north of the airport in the desert (B-52 pilot during viet nam) witnessed the aircraft flying over his residence on two occasions prior to the crash. The witness estimated the aircraft height to be in the 500 foot to 600 foot above ground level (AGL). The witness, who is a high time turbine pilot with experience in an aircraft with eight turbine engines, noted no anomalies in the sound of the aircraft engine during the overflights.
Statement from privacy data omitted of the company:
"In the hours before the accident privacy data omitted and I reviewed the pilot’s operating handbook for privacy data omitted. I was quizzing privacy data omitted on his knowledge of the aircraft’s limitations, normal procedures, and emergency procedures. privacy data omitted Demonstrated a firm understanding of all the information discussed. After that, privacy data omitted sat in the cockpit as I stood on the side of the cockpit and watched as privacy data omitted chair flew me from startup through shutdown of the proposed flight. This is something we had done before many times prior to the date of the accident. The plan for the day was for privacy data omitted to take the aircraft up on an orientation flight. privacy data omitted Was not to conduct any special maneuvers, only maneuvers consistent with normal flight. privacy data omitted Was to depart to the north and climb to at least 2,000 feet AGL, get a feel for the aircraft by performing normal turns, climbs, and descents. After an appropriate amount of time, privacy data omitted was to return to the airport and make 1 landing to a full stop. At approximately 1250 MDT, privacy data omitted started the aircraft with no issues, and it was a normal start. At approximately 1300 MDT privacy data omitted began to taxi for a departure on runway 28. privacy data omitted Taxied on to runway 28 and lined up on the centerline for departure. After a moment or two, privacy data omitted began a takeoff roll on runway 28 and then departed, as planned, to the north. At approximately 1315 MDT, dark black smoke could be observed from the airport in the vicinity of where privacy data omitted was supposed to be operating. We could make no contact with privacy data omitted at that time."
Aircraft was destroyed by fire, only the frame and wingtip sections remained. The turbine engine was heavily damaged. NTSB teardown pending.
The commercial pilot was fatally injured.
Jrk 9/23/2024
As the FAA filed it
ON 06/25/2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 HOURS MST, A GRUMMAN AGCAT (G-164 BIPLANE), WAS INVOLVED IN A FATAL ACCIDENT DURING MANEUVERING OPERATIONS. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS PILOT FAMILIARIZATION (FAM FLIGHT). PILOT WAS BEING TRAINED FOR PART 137 OPERATIONS. NO VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THIS LOCAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE DONA ANA COUNTY INTERNATIONAL JETPORT AIRPORT IN DONA ANA, NM (KDNA). THIS WAS THE PILOTS FIRST FLIGHT IN A TURBINE POWERED AIRPLANE. THE PILOT DEPARTED THE AIRPORT AND LEFT THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR THE PURPOSES OF AIRCRAFT FAMILIARIZATION.
THE PILOT TEXTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REGARDING SOME UNUSUAL VIBRATIONS IN THE AIRCRAFT.
A LOCAL RESIDENT WHO LIVED SEVERAL MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT IN THE DESERT (B-52 PILOT DURING VIET NAM) WITNESSED THE AIRCRAFT FLYING OVER HIS RESIDENCE ON TWO OCCASIONS PRIOR TO THE CRASH. THE WITNESS ESTIMATED THE AIRCRAFT HEIGHT TO BE IN THE 500 FOOT TO 600 FOOT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL). THE WITNESS, WHO IS A HIGH TIME TURBINE PILOT WITH EXPERIENCE IN AN AIRCRAFT WITH EIGHT TURBINE ENGINES, NOTED NO ANOMALIES IN THE SOUND OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE DURING THE OVERFLIGHTS.
STATEMENT FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE COMPANY:
"IN THE HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND I REVIEWED THE PILOT’S OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. I WAS QUIZZING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE AIRCRAFT’S LIMITATIONS, NORMAL PROCEDURES, AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEMONSTRATED A FIRM UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THE INFORMATION DISCUSSED. AFTER THAT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAT IN THE COCKPIT AS I STOOD ON THE SIDE OF THE COCKPIT AND WATCHED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CHAIR FLEW ME FROM STARTUP THROUGH SHUTDOWN OF THE PROPOSED FLIGHT. THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAD DONE BEFORE MANY TIMES PRIOR TO THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PLAN FOR THE DAY WAS FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO TAKE THE AIRCRAFT UP ON AN ORIENTATION FLIGHT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS NOT TO CONDUCT ANY SPECIAL MANEUVERS, ONLY MANEUVERS CONSISTENT WITH NORMAL FLIGHT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS TO DEPART TO THE NORTH AND CLIMB TO AT LEAST 2,000 FEET AGL, GET A FEEL FOR THE AIRCRAFT BY PERFORMING NORMAL TURNS, CLIMBS, AND DESCENTS. AFTER AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND MAKE 1 LANDING TO A FULL STOP. AT APPROXIMATELY 1250 MDT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STARTED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO ISSUES, AND IT WAS A NORMAL START. AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 MDT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BEGAN TO TAXI FOR A DEPARTURE ON RUNWAY 28. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TAXIED ON TO RUNWAY 28 AND LINED UP ON THE CENTERLINE FOR DEPARTURE. AFTER A MOMENT OR TWO, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BEGAN A TAKEOFF ROLL ON RUNWAY 28 AND THEN DEPARTED, AS PLANNED, TO THE NORTH. AT APPROXIMATELY 1315 MDT, DARK BLACK SMOKE COULD BE OBSERVED FROM THE AIRPORT IN THE VICINITY OF WHERE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OPERATING. WE COULD MAKE NO CONTACT WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT THAT TIME."
AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE, ONLY THE FRAME AND WINGTIP SECTIONS REMAINED. THE TURBINE ENGINE WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED. NTSB TEARDOWN PENDING.
THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED.
JRK 9/23/2024
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9709 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.