MIA95LA182

NTSB accident investigation · Schweizer G-164B · Goodman, MS · July 13, 1995

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
July 13, 1995, 08:15 local (13:15 UTC)
Place
Goodman, MS
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N76LSSchweizer G-164B
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 30, 1995
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19950713026549A
Case key
37800

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain flying airspeed which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

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.

Loss of control - in flightApproach - vfr pattern - final approach
Airspeed - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Stall - inadvertentPilot in command
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled
Terrain condition - ground

Analysis

The pilot stated that while on a straight-in final approach to land at about 200 feet above ground level, he pushed the propeller control forward and reduced the throttle control. The airplane then pitched nose down and he applied aft elevator control input with no effect. The airplane impacted the ground in about a 40-degree nose low attitude and nosed over. The propeller and propeller governor were examined and bench tested respectively with no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction.

Factual narrative

On July 13, 1995, about 0815 central daylight time, a Schweizer Aircraft Corp., G-164B, N76LS, crashed while landing at a private airstrip near Goodman, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated about 0730 from the accident airstrip.

The pilot stated that while on a straight-in final approach to land at 200 feet above ground level, he pushed the propeller control in the cockpit forward and reduced the throttle control. The airplane then pitched nose down and he pulled aft on the control stick with no effect. The airplane impacted the ground in about a 40-degree nose down attitude then nosed over. The propeller and propeller governor were removed for further examination.

The propeller governor was placed on a test bench and found to operate normally. Examination of the propeller revealed that the low pitch stop was correctly set at 10 degrees and the high pitch stop was set about 13 degrees less than specified (35 degrees). The propeller blade angle of the least and greater damaged blades was determined to be about 25 degrees and 40 degrees respectively. The two each pitch stop and two each fixed cam locating dowels were found to be failed and only one of the failed fixed cam dowels was located. Examination of the fracture surfaces of the failed dowels revealed evidence of overload failure.

Aircraft

Registration
N76LS
Reported as
Schweizer G-164B
Category
Airplane
Serial number
783B
Airframe hours
4,000
Engine
P&W R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Aerial application · Part 137
Operator
Seneasha Air Service, Inc.
Registered owner
Robert E. Garrett
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Restricted (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · March 1, 1995 · 150 hours before
Departed
MS

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
27
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Center
Flight hours
2,700 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 150 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
3 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
88 °F, dew point 75 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
GWO, 32 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.