- Date
- August 13, 2009, 10:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Westley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6697QGrumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminstration
- FAA report
- 20090813014479A
- Case key
- 74512
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 preflight planning and preparation, and his decision to operate the airplane well in excess of its maximum gross weight.
Findings · 3
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 reported that the airplane did not climb after takeoff and was very sluggish. He held the airplane in ground effect to gain airspeed so that he could clear the chain link fence at the end of the runway. As the pilot attempted to initiate a climb, the airplane started to descend towards a sewage pond. The pilot attempted to jettison the load, but the airplane impacted the sewage pond and nosed over. The operator estimated that the airplane's gross weight at the time of the accident was approximately 6,100 pounds. Weight and Balance Data taken from the G-164B Pilot's Operating Handbook indicates that the maximum gross weight for the G-164B is 5,200 pounds.
Factual narrative
The agricultural airplane was overloaded for conditions during takeoff. The pilot reported that the airplane did not climb after takeoff and was very sluggish. He held the airplane in ground effect to gain airspeed so that he could clear the chain link fence at the end of the runway. As the pilot attempted to initiate a climb, the airplane started to descend towards a sewage pond. The pilot attempted to jettison the load, but the airplane impacted the sewage pond and flipped over. The operator estimated that the airplane's gross weight at the time of the accident was approximately 6,100 pounds. Weight and Balance Data taken from the G-164B Pilot's Operating Handbook indicates that the maximum gross weight for the G-164B with the R-1340 engine is 5,200 pounds. Civil Aeronautics Manual (CAM) 8, paragraph 8.10-4 (b) "Maximum Weight" states that establishing a maximum weight for an agricultural aircraft is not required. "In lieu thereof, maximum weights for the special purpose loads (e.g. hopper or tank capacities) should be selected by the applicant and demonstrated in a flight check."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6697Q
- Reported as
- Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 207B
- Airframe hours
- 11,086
- Engine
- P&W R-985-AN1, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Valley Crop Dusting Inc
- Registered owner
- Valley Crop Dusting Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Westley, CA
- Destination
- Westley, CA
- Airport
- Private Airstrip, runway 27, 1,800 × 40 ft, dirt
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
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 9, 2008
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 5,141 total · 400 in this make and model · 4,748 as pilot in command · 203 in the last 90 days · 94 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- MOD, 13 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 430 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.