- Date
- April 4, 1988, 17:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Allegan, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N84PGGrumman G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 13, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880404007439A
- Case key
- 13865
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 pilot had just completed two swath runs and was turning to start the third when the aircraft began to buffet and approached a stall. The pilot then lowered the nose of the aircraft and added full throttle. After applying full throttle the pilot stated he did not hear the engine respond. As the aircraft approached the ground the pilot stated he applied back pressure '....several times with near stall control feelings', but the aircraft continued it's uncontrolled descent and subsequently clipped some trees before impacting the ground. Although a witness stated hearing the engine backfire shortly before impact, during the investigation nothing was found mechanically wrong with the engine. The weather conditions at the time of the accident do correlate with the range of conditions associated with the formation of carburetor ice, and the engine, according to the pilot and witness statements, did exhibit some indications that carburetor ice may have formed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84PG
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1536
- Airframe hours
- 2,200
- Engine
- P&W R-985-AN1, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Farmers Air Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 7, 1988 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- 35D · Allegan, MI
- Destination
- 35D
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 961 total · 40 in this make and model · 885 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 24 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.