On August 3, 1990, a Schweizer G-164B (registration N8104K) operated by Brandon, Ralph J. Jr. was involved in an aviation accident near Sherrill, AR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff from a short agricultural airstrip, which resulted in the airplane settling back to the terrain and impacting a cotton field. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An agricultural airplane settled back to the terrain shortly after takeoff from a short airstrip. The pilot attempted to dump insecticide but could not maintain altitude, resulting in a crash into a cotton field and post-impact fire.
What happened
The incident occurred during an agricultural operation involving a short takeoff. Shortly after the aircraft departed from an agricultural airstrip that was approximately 2,000 feet in length, the airplane lost altitude and settled back toward the ground. Recognizing the loss of performance, the pilot initiated a procedure to dump the load of insecticide to reduce weight. Despite this effort, the pilot was unable to maintain controlled flight. The aircraft continued its descent and impacted an adjacent cotton field. Following the collision with the terrain, a fire broke out and consumed much of the wreckage.
The investigation
Post-accident examination revealed that post-impact fire destroyed significant portions of the airframe. The short length of the agricultural airstrip was noted as a critical factor in the initial performance issues during takeoff.
Findings
Contributing factors to this accident included the limited length of the departure strip and the aircraft's inability to sustain flight after settling back to the terrain despite weight reduction efforts.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff from a short agricultural airstrip, which resulted in the airplane settling back to the terrain and impacting a cotton field.