- Date
- June 2, 1999, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Monaville, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N73PBGrumman G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990602041739A
- Case key
- 46427
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 touch down on the dry area of the landing strip. A factor was the soft terrain condition on the sides of the grass strip.
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 reported that while landing at a privately owned airstrip, the runway 'appeared to be in good shape and dry.' However, when the agricultural airplane's main landing gear touched down, 'the wheels sunk into the soft ground,' and the airplane nosed over onto its back. The pilot reported that the landing area was 'dry in the middle and soft on the sides.'
Factual narrative
On June 2, 1999, at 1315 central daylight time, a Grumman G-164A agricultural airplane, N73PB, owned and operated by Double L Flying Service, of Wallis, Texas, was substantially damaged during landing near Monaville, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 local aerial application flight.
The pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2, that while landing at a privately owned airstrip, the runway "appeared to be in good shape and dry." However, when the airplane's main landing gear touched down, "the wheels sunk into the soft ground," and the airplane nosed over onto its back. The pilot reported that the landing area was "dry in the middle and soft on the sides."
Examination of the aircraft by the FAA inspector revealed that an upper wing spar, the engine mounts, and the vertical stabilizer were damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73PB
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1118
- Airframe hours
- 5,689
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Lowell R. Hicks
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 18, 1999 · 66 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
- Airport
- NONE · Peterson
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 11,500 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 11,500 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 3 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
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 N73PB · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.