- Date
- August 12, 2009, 09:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Evansville, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9794Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Flight control sys malf/fail
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-MKE-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090812048339A
- Case key
- 74527
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A jam of the elevator flight control for undetermined reasons.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot attempted to pull back on the stick during the takeoff run, but was unable to move the control. He stated that he used both hands, but was still unable to move the control stick. The airplane traveled off the end of the runway where it became airborne after contacting a ditch. The airplane then settled into a corn field and a fire ensued. The reason for the control stick binding could not be determined due to the extensive fire damage to the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot attempted to pull back on the stick during the takeoff run, but was unable to move the control. He stated he used both hands, but was still unable to move the control stick. The airplane traveled off the end of the runway where it became airborne after contacting a ditch. The airplane then settled into a corn field where a fire ensued. The reason for the control stick binding could not be determined due to the extensive fire damage to the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9794
- Reported as
- Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1271
- Airframe hours
- 6,480
- Engine
- Allied TPE-331-1, 665 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Selwyn Hale Ellis Jr
- Registered owner
- Countryside Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 6, 2009
- Departed
- PVT · Evansville, WI
- Destination
- PVT · Evansville, WI
- Airport
- PVT · Maas Airstrip, runway 36, 1,900 × 60 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 14, 2009
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 11,912 total · 250 in this make and model · 3,687 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- JVL, 15 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 14, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 673 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.