N4222P

On June 25, 1994, at 0955 central daylight time, a Grumman- Schweizer G-164A, N4222P, was destroyed when it collided with trees shortly after takeoff in Dumas, Arkansas. The airplane, owned and operated by King's Agricultural Flying Service, Inc., and flown by a commercial pilot, had just departed on what was to have been an aerial application flight. There was no flight plan filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot was not injured.

According to the pilot, the takeoff was normal in all respects and he initiated a turn shortly after liftoff, which he stated was his normal custom. He further stated that the airplane immediately began to shake and shudder in the turn and would not climb. The pilot leveled the wings "fully expecting the plane to get up and go. It didn't." The pilot started dumping his load of urea, during which time the airplane cleared a hangar and a trailer house. Shortly thereafter, the airplane impacted trees in a nose high/tail low attitude. The airplane subsequently nosed over in the trees and impacted in a swamp. After the airplane came to rest, the pilot was able to extricate himself and float to the surface. The pilot did not state why the airplane would not climb after liftoff. The operator, who observed the takeoff, stated that the airplane throttled up and accelerated normally during the takeoff run and that he neither saw nor heard any evidence of a power loss while he was observing the airplane. The operator did state that it was his opinion the pilot initiated the turn early after liftoff and stalled the airplane.