- Date
- June 17, 2016, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cummings, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N36333Schweizer G 164
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160617008949A
- Case key
- 93442
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 an adequate rate of descent while landing, which resulted in a hard landing, short of the runway.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped turbine powered airplane reported that while landing, he reduced the power and there was an increased descent rate. The pilot added power but reported that the engine rpm did not have time to accelerate. The airplane touched down about 10 feet short of the runway in tall grass, the right main landing gear sheared off during the impact, the nose of the airplane dropped and the propeller impacted the ground. The airplane rotated to the left and came to a stop in a ditch, sustaining substantial damage to both the wings and their lift struts. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported as a safety recommendation, to allow plenty of runway space in case of a sudden increase in descent rate while landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped turbine powered airplane reported that while landing, he reduced the power and there was an increased descent rate. The pilot added power but reported that the engine rpm did not have time to accelerate. The airplane touched down about 10 feet short of the runway in tall grass, the right main landing gear sheared off during the impact, the nose of the airplane dropped and the propeller impacted the ground. The airplane rotated to the left and came to a stop in a ditch, sustaining substantial damage to both the wings and their lift struts. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported as a safety recommendation, to allow plenty of runway space in case of a sudden increase in descent rate while landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36333
- Reported as
- Schweizer G 164 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 785B
- Built
- 1986
- Engine
- Walter M601-E11, 560 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Sky Tractor LLC
- Registered owner
- Sky Tractor LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- 5ND9 · Cummings, ND
- Destination
- 5ND9 · Cummings, ND
- Airport
- 5ND9 · DECK Airport, runway 34, 4,400 × 60 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 28, 2016
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 265 total · 15 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 140 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- MVX, 11 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 20, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.