- Date
- July 15, 1989, 07:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Eloy, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5252Grumman G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890715025299A
- Case key
- 26133
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
Inaequate preflight by the pilot, which resulted in fuel starvation during the climb after takeoff, due to very little fuel remaining in the tanks. The rough/uneven desert terrain was considered to be a contributing factor.
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
Drg takeoff, on a flt to move the acft to another location, the eng lost power. The power loss occurred at an alt of about 150 ft. subsequently, the acft nosed over drg an emergency landing on desert terrain. In an interview after the acdnt, the plt rprtd there was enough fuel on board the acft to reach the destn. However, when it was examined after the acdnt, very little fuel was found remaining in the fuel tanks. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft or eng was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5252
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 538
- Airframe hours
- 5,228
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Farm America
- Registered owner
- Maxim B. Shears
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 16, 1989 · 78 hours before
- Airport
- Eloy "Y"
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
- 46
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total · 600 in this make and model · 11,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 86 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.