- Date
- September 6, 2002, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Martin, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N48417Grumman-Schweizer G-164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - Detroit FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020906038779A
- Case key
- 55673
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
The pilot's inadequate aircraft preflight and his inability to abort the takeoff due to the obscured windshield. Contributing to the accident was the bent hopper latch and the pilot's failure to maintain directional control.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane contacted a corn crop following a loss of control during takeoff. The pilot reported that on takeoff at an airspeed of about 50 miles per hour the right aft corner of the hopper lid became unsecured. He reported that the fungicide in the hopper sprayed out and covered the windshield. The pilot reported that because of hazards on both sides and at the end of the runway he felt it was best to continue the takeoff at full power. He stated that he was able to see out the lower right corner of the windshield which was only partially obscured. The pilot stated he then lost control of the airplane and the lower left wing contacted the corn crop on the left edge of the airstrip. The airplane was turned into the crop where it came to rest. Inspection of the right rear latch on the double gang-bar type latch revealed that the latch was bent.
Factual narrative
On September 6, 2002, at 1045 eastern daylight time, a Grumman G-164B, N48417, collided with the terrain following a loss of directional control during a takeoff initial climb from a private airstrip in Martin, Michigan. The commercial pilot was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The Title 14 CFR Part 137 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and no flight plan was filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot reported the accident occurred on the fifth aerial application flight of the day. He reported that on takeoff at an airspeed of about 50 miles per hour the right aft corner of the hopper lid became unsecured. He reported that the fungicide in the hopper sprayed out and covered the windshield. The pilot reported that because of hazards on both sides and at the end of the runway he felt it was best to continue the takeoff at full power. He stated that he was able to see out the lower right corner of the windshield which was only partially obscured. The pilot stated he then lost control of the airplane and the lower left wing contacted the corn crop on the left edge of the airstrip. The airplane was turned into the crop where it came to rest.
An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office in Belleville, Michigan, reported that the right rear latch on the double gang-bar type latch was not completely closed and it looked as though the latch was bent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48417
- Reported as
- Grumman-Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26B
- Airframe hours
- 10,269
- Engine
- Walter M601E-11, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Benjamin I. Niswander
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 20, 2002 · 280 hours before
- Departed
- PVT · Martin, MI
- Airport
- Pvt Airstrip, runway 36, 2,000 × 50 ft, gravel
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- March 17, 2001
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 16,062 total · 1,783 in this make and model · 15,894 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- AZO, 17 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N48417 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.