- Date
- June 6, 1998, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Somonauk, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N710YGrumman G164
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980606012539A
- Case key
- 10908
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 misjudgment of distance. Factors were wind gusts and crops.
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
During practice aerial application maneuvers the airplane impacted the terrain. The pilot said that he was making practice spray runs over a wheat field when the airplane encountered a gust of wind and one of the main landing gear got into the wheat. He was unable to recover before the airplane impacted the terrain.
Factual narrative
On June 6, 1998, at 1400 central daylight time, a Grumman G164, N710Y, while maneuvering at low altitude, encountered crops and impacted the terrain near Somonauk, Illinois. The pilot was not injured, however, the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The aircraft was being operated as an instructional flight under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot was practicing aerial applications when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Leland, Illinois, at 1300
In his written statement, the pilot said that he was making practice spray runs over a wheat field when the airplane, "caught a gust" of wind, got a wheel into the wheat, and he was unable to recover before the airplane impacted the terrain.
A subsequent examination of the airplane failed to reveal any pre-accident anomalies which might have contributed to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N710Y
- Reported as
- Grumman G164
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 318
- Airframe hours
- 10,903
- Engine
- Jacobs R755H2M, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Harold Miller
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 16, 1998 · 52 hours before
- Departed
- E16 · Leland, IL
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,358 total · 9 in this make and model · 1,220 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.