On July 25, 1990, a Grumman G-164A (registration N7854) operated by Farm Air Service, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Sommerset, LA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during climbout, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent collision with terrain and crops. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A light aircraft departed a sod strip and struck a bean field at the end of the runway. The pilot escaped the initial crash but died from burn injuries one week later.
What happened
Shortly after takeoff from a sod strip, the aircraft flew into a three-foot-tall bean field located at the end of the runway. According to witness reports, the main wheels of the aircraft contacted the crops, causing the plane to slide to a stop on its side. A post-impact fire erupted very shortly after the initial collision. The pilot was able to escape from the wreckage but succumbed to burn injuries one week after the accident.
Findings
The density altitude at the time of the event was 1,600 feet. The pilot sustained fatal injuries resulting from the post-impact fire.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during climbout, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent collision with terrain and crops.