On May 31, 2003, a Grumman G-164B (registration N48597) was involved in an aviation accident near Superior, NE. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, and the delayed remedial action by the pilot, resulting in a stall. Factors to the accident included the aircraft’s low altitude and the pilot's lack of experience in the make/model of aircraft. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aerial application airplane stalled during a climbing departure after takeoff. The pilot reported a tail vibration and uncontrolled descent, jettisoned the water load, and lowered the nose but was unable to recover, resulting in terrain impact.
Accident Summary
An aerial application airplane experienced a stall and subsequent terrain impact during a climbing departure after takeoff. The pilot reported feeling a vibration in the tail section, followed by an uncontrolled descent.
Pilot Actions
The pilot stated that he jettisoned the water load and lowered the aircraft's nose in an attempt to regain control. However, these corrective actions were unsuccessful, and the aircraft continued descending. The pilot noted that the airplane "kept coming down."
Pilot Experience
The pilot had accumulated less than one hour of total flight time in the accident make and model aircraft at the time of the incident.
Weather Conditions
The pilot indicated that the winds were light and variable but believed he encountered "bad air" and "lateral wind shear." A local weather observation taken around the time of the accident reported light and variable winds.