Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's continued approach into known adverse weather which resulted in the pilot's loss of control, and subsequent inflight collision with terrain. A factor was the weather conditions.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On September 22, 1998, about 1345 central daylight time, a Grumman-Schweizer G-164A, N9774, collided with the ground during landing at a private airstrip in Goodway, Alabama. The agricultural airplane was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 137, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The commercial pilot and sole occupant sustained minor injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from Goodway, Alabama at 1300.
According to the FAA, the pilot had just completed spraying agricultural chemicals on a nearby farm field and was returning to the airport. The pilot stated that while on approach he encountered light rain. Expecting possible turbulence from a near by cloud, the pilot stated that he maintained a higher than normal approach speed. He said that at about 25 feet above ground level he encountered "blinding rain" and struck the ground. He believed he encountered a micro burst. The airplane came to rest inverted on the runway, substantially damaging the vertical stabilizer, rudder, wings and propeller. The weather observation facility located 25 miles to the northwest of the accident site could not confirm heavy rain or convective activity at the time of the accident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ATL98LA128