On June 14, 1992, a Grumman G-164A (registration N7357) operated by Coates Flying Service, Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Ft. Gaines, GA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate control during takeoff, as evidenced by the aircraft settling back to the ground, due to his inability to recall the aircraft's weight and balance data. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Following takeoff, the pilot reported that the aircraft settled back to the ground without any engine malfunction. The pilot could not recall the specific weight calculations for the flight.
What happened
The pilot reported that after takeoff the airplane settled back to the ground. He stated that there was no engine malfunction. The pilot could not recall the empty weight nor the gross weight of the airplane. He also said that the airplane would normally take off with the load that was in the airplane.
The investigation
No further investigation details were provided in the source material.
Findings
The primary finding relates to the pilot's inability to recall critical weight data for the flight. fuel exhaustion is not indicated; rather, the issue centers on weight and balance awareness. The pilot could not recall the empty weight nor the gross weight of the airplane.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate control during takeoff, as evidenced by the aircraft settling back to the ground, due to his inability to recall the aircraft's weight and balance data.
