On August 16, 2005, a Grumman G164B (registration N6903K) was involved in an aviation accident near Alexandria, LA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in a stall and subsequent impact with the ground. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A commercial pilot reported that after loading insecticide, the aircraft struggled to gain airspeed and stalled shortly after rotation on a grass runway.
What happened
The pilot, operating as a commercial aviator, prepared the aircraft for departure from Runway 33. Prior to leaving the ground, he loaded 250 gallons of insecticide into the airplane's hopper. The strip was a grass surface measuring 2,500 feet in length. The aircraft accelerated along approximately 1,875 feet of this runway before the pilot initiated rotation for takeoff.
Following rotation, the pilot noted that the airplane appeared to have difficulty gaining airspeed. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft stalled. Upon stalling, the airplane banked 90 degrees to the right and impacted the terrain. The density altitude at the time was calculated to be 1,970 feet.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in a stall and subsequent impact with the ground.