- Date
- October 9, 1999, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Burkittsville, MD
- Injuries
- 2 minor; on the ground: 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7856Grumman G164
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19991009043439A
- Case key
- 47577
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 vehicle drivers inadequate lookout.
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
The pilot stated he had an understanding with the owner of the property he was working on, that all occupants of the property had been notified of the airplane's operations and that the area would be kept clear. The pilot did recall noticing a roadblock on the road used for takeoffs and landings. On the twelfth takeoff from the dirt road, as the tail of the airplane lifted off the ground, the pilot noticed a truck driving towards him about 50 feet ahead. The pilot attempted an evasive maneuver to avoid the truck, but impacted the front bumper of the truck with the main landing gear of the airplane. The airplane nosed over the truck and came to rest inverted. According to the owner of the property, the driver of the truck resided on the premises and was made aware that airplane activities were being conducted on the farm.
Factual narrative
On October 9, 1999, about 1300 Eastern Daylight Time, a Grumman G-164A, N7856, was substantially damaged when it impacted a moving motor vehicle, while departing from a dirt road near Burkittsville, Maryland. The certificated commercial pilot and the occupant of the motor vehicle received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the aerial application flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 137.The pilot stated that all occupants of the property had been notified of the airplane's operations and that the area would be kept clear. The pilot did recall noticing a roadblock on the dirt road used for takeoffs and landings. On the twelfth takeoff from the dirt road, as the tail of the airplane lifted off the ground, the pilot noticed a truck driving towards him about 50 feet ahead. The pilot attempted an evasive maneuver to avoid the truck, but impacted the front bumper of the truck with the main landing gear of the airplane. The airplane nosed over the truck and came to rest inverted.
According to the owner of the property where the accident occurred, the driver of the truck resided on the premises and was made aware that airplane activities were being conducted on the farm. The road that was being used by the airplane on the day of the accident was a private drive, and had been used on a regular basis for landing and departing airplanes.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector no mechanical difficulties were observed when the wreckage of the airplane was examined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7856
- Reported as
- Grumman G164 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 805
- Airframe hours
- 6,296
- Engine
- P&W R-985-AN-1413, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Tri State Aero Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 1998 · 147 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,251 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 5,211 as pilot in command · 89 in the last 90 days · 54 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HGR, 160 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 N7856 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.