- Date
- July 8, 1991, 22:00 local (Jul 9, 1991, 05:00 UTC)
- Place
- Eloy, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6633KGrumman G-164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910708026729A
- Case key
- 27281
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 failure of the pilot to maintain the terrain clearance of the aircraft while maneuvering for a potential emergency landing on a moonless dark night.
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
According to the pilot's statement, the aircraft had just departed from the airstrip for a night spray run. During the takeoff initial climb, the pilot said he sensed that the engine was not producing adequate power. The pilot aligned the aircraft for a possible landing in an open area while he attempted to remedy the power problem. The aircraft collided with the terrain about one mile from the runway. The accident occurred on a dark night with no moon. The engine and aircraft systems were examined by the FAA airworthiness inspectors. In their verbal report of the examination, no aircraft system abnormalities were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6633K
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 400B
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Al Don Dusting Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Al Don Dusting Service, Inc.
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- NONE · Eloy, AZ
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
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 10,800 total · 400 in this make and model · 8,800 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F
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 N6633K · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.