- Date
- March 22, 2008, 09:14 local (16:14 UTC)
- Place
- Colfax, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N63DGrumman-Schweizer G-164B
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080322012609A
- Case key
- 67709
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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions, failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed that resulted in a stall mush, and, the subsequent failure to maintain terrain and obstacle clearance during the takeoff initial climb. Contributing factors were the tailwind weather condition, and the one-way direction requirements of the airstrip.
Findings · 7
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 said that he was departing for an aerial application flight on runway 25 with a 12- to 15-knot tailwind. He had 1,400 pounds of dry fertilizer in the hopper. Takeoff from this airport must be in one direction due to climbing terrain and runway slope. He started a right turn down a valley when he felt a loss of lift. He started to dump his applicant, but the weight transfer was too slow. The airplane descended into power lines and impacted the ground. It continued through a fence and impacted a light pole.
Factual narrative
The pilot said that he was departing for an aerial application flight on runway 25 with a 12- to 15-knot tailwind. He had 1,400 pounds of dry fertilizer in the hopper. Takeoff from this airport must be in one direction due to climbing terrain and runway slope. He started a right turn down a valley when he felt a loss of lift. He started to dump his applicant, but the weight transfer was too slow. The airplane descended into power lines and impacted the ground. It continued through a fence and impacted a light pole.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63D
- Reported as
- Grumman-Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 301B
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- TLC Flying, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- S94 · Colfax, WA
- Destination
- S94
- Airport
- S94 · Whitman County Airport, runway 25, 3,209 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 5,500 total · 84 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.55 inHg
- Observed at
- PUW, 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.
Other investigations on N63D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.