- Date
- April 9, 1994, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mount Bellvue, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3628TSchweizer G-164
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940409000479A
- Case key
- 19030
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 directional control. Factors were the soft runway and gusty winds.
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 a southerly takeoff the aircraft began to drift right and entered a soft wet area. As the aircraft traversed the soft area it nosed over to the inverted position. Official wind 20 miles southwest of the accident site was from 225 degrees at 14 knots gusting to 21. The pilot cited 'strong gusts' and soft terrain as the reason for his loss of control.
Factual narrative
On April 9, 1994, at 1430 central daylight time, a Schweizer G- 164, N3628T, was substantially damaged during takeoff near Mount Bellvue, Texas. The commercial pilot, who was not injured, was not on a flight plan and weather was visual meteorological conditions.
The pilot stated in the pilot/operator report that he was taking off from a runway, specifically prepared for agriculture operations, when the aircraft began to drift right. As the aircraft drifted right it entered a "soft area" and nosed over to the inverted position.
An examination of the aircraft revealed that it was loaded with rice seeds.
The pilot reported that the winds had begun to vary in direction at the time of the accident and were marked with "strong gusts." He further referred to a "combination of wind and runway conditions" as the reason for his loss of control.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3628T
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 737B
- Airframe hours
- 2,826
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN2, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Liberty Air Services, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 10, 1993 · 243 hours before
- Airport
- Nelson
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 17,761 total · 10,256 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HOU, 20 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 N3628T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.