- Date
- June 23, 2004, 09:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Hutchinson, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5339Grumman G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040623016799A
- Case key
- 59579
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 failure to maintain airspeed during the low altitude turn after takeoff. A factor to the accident was the low altitude and the swampy terrain condition.
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 impacted swampy terrain while maneuvering during initial climb. The pilot reported that after takeoff, while on initial climb out of ground effect, he decided to turn from a northwest heading to the east. The pilot stated he saw obstacles ahead of the airplane while on an easterly heading, so he decided to continue the turn to the south to avoid them. The pilot reported that during the turn the airplane descended into the swamp. The pilot did not report experiencing any malfunctions or failures with the airframe or its engine. The pilot stated the accident could have been prevented by "more airspeed over wings."
Factual narrative
On June 23, 2004, at 0940 central daylight time, a Grumman G-164A, N5339, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with terrain while on initial climb from Hutchinson Municipal Airport (HCD), Hutchinson, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aerial application flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot reported that after takeoff, while on initial climb out of ground effect, he decided to turn from a northwest heading to the east. The pilot stated he saw obstacles ahead of the airplane while on an easterly heading, so he decided to continue the turn to the south to avoid them. The pilot reported that during the turn the airplane descended into a swamp. The pilot did not report experiencing any malfunctions or failures with the airframe or its engine. The pilot stated the accident could have been prevented by "more airspeed over wings."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5339
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 611
- Airframe hours
- 7,500
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2004 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- HCD · Hutchinson, MN
- Destination
- HCD · Hutchinson, MN
- Airport
- HCD · Hutchinson Municipal Airport
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
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2003
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,600 total · 80 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- HCD, 1 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.