WPR11LA260

NTSB accident investigation · Grumman G-164A · Buttonwillow, CA · June 14, 2011

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
June 13, 2011, 18:25 local (Jun 14, 2011, 01:25 UTC)
Place
Buttonwillow, CA
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N5286Grumman G-164A
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 19, 2011
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20110613010709A
Case key
80752

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 misjudgment of the landing approach and subsequent long landing and overrun of the runway resulting in a collision with ground obstacles. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's likely fatigue and dehydration.

Findings · 4

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.

Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedGrumman G-164A: 3 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotGrumman G-164A: 2 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide pathAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedGrumman G-164A: 1 caseAll aircraft: 809 casesProbable cause

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 stated that on the day of the accident, he had conducted numerous landings on the accident airstrip and the brakes where "a little worn out," but had operated well enough to allow stopping on the runway. The pilot further stated that he was fatigued and dehydrated after flying for nearly 8 hours. On the accident landing, the pilot reported that he was slightly fast on the approach with a tailwind of approximately 5-10 knots. Upon touchdown he was unable to stop the airplane before the end of the runway and exited the right side. After the airplane exited the runway, its right wing struck a dumpster. The initial impact with the dumpster caused the airplane to spin into a second dumpster with which the airplane came to rest against.

Factual narrative

On June 13, 2011, about 1825 pacific daylight time, a Grumman G-164A, N5286 sustained substantial damage when it departed the runway and collided with two dumpsters at a private airstrip in Buttonwillow, California. The airplane was registered to Slikker Flying Service, Inc., and operated by Vince Dusters under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The commercial pilot was not injured. The flight originated from a private field in Buttonwillow, California at 1000. The airplane maintenance records indicated that the airplane's last annual inspection was performed on December 1, 2010 and the log books were annotated that the airplane was airworthy. The airplane was not flown after the annual inspection until a day before the accident when the company owner test flew the airplane and reported that the airplane was airworthy and the brakes were operating normally. The pilot stated that on the day of the accident he had conducted numerous landings on the accident airstrip and the brakes where "a little worn out," but had operated well enough to allow stopping on the runway. The pilot further stated that he was fatigued and dehydrated after flying for nearly 8 hours. On the accident landing the pilot reported that he was slightly fast on the approach with a tailwind of approximately 5-10 knots. Upon touchdown he was unable to stop the airplane before the end of the runway and exited the right side. After the airplane exited the runway the airplane's right wing struck a dumpster. The initial impact with the dumpster caused the airplane to spin into a second dumpster with which the airplane came to rest against. Immediately after the accident the owner/operator checked the brakes and found them to be operating normally. Three days after the accident, an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted that the right brake would not hold pressure and was leaking brake fluid from the right master cylinder. The left brake would hold pressure after about 8 pumps, but was leaking brake fluid from the b-nut at the hard line to the flex line at the caliper. The continuity of the brake system was not checked at that time.

Aircraft

Registration
N5286
Reported as
Grumman G-164A
Category
Airplane
Serial number
562
Airframe hours
13,921
Engine
P&W R 1340 AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Aerial application · Part 137
Operator
Vince Dusters, Inc.
Registered owner
Slikker Flying Service, Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Restricted (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · December 1, 2010 · 6 hours before
Departed
PVT · Buttonwillow, CA
Destination
PVT · Buttonwillow, CA
Flight plan
Unknown
Airport
PVT · Vince Dusters Private Strip, runway 16, 2,640 × 20 ft, asphalt

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
53
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 2
Last flight review
February 25, 2011
Seat
Single
Flight hours
2,400 total · 310 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
284° at 10 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
90 °F, dew point 52 °F
Altimeter
29.97 inHg
Observed at
KBFL, 20 nm away

Docket · 10

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 1, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 MB 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.

Other investigations on N5286 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.