According to a family member, the purpose of the flight was to apply chemicals to a neighbor’s field west of the pilot’s private airstrip in Hays, Kansas. The family member observed the Grumman G164 departing the airstrip to the east and then turned away from the airplane. She did not see the airplane after it departed or for the remainder of the flight.
The airplane hit terrain 0.7 mile northeast of the airstrip. There were no witnesses to the accident, which killed the pilot.
The airplane hit a gravel road that was oriented east to west and an adjacent ditch. All wreckage was located within about 50 feet of the initial impact point, and ground scars were oriented on a 292° heading. The wings were oriented along an east-west direction, and the top of the wings faced south. The metal tube frame of the fuselage and empennage were oriented toward the north-northwest with the vertical and horizontal stabilizers rotated to the west. The engine was separated from the fuselage and located abeam the tail.
The airplane’s attitude at impact and impact angle could not be determined from the available evidence, but the damage to the wreckage and the orientation of the wreckage in relation to the initial impact point were consistent with an impact at a steep angle.
A post-impact fire consumed most of the fuselage, cockpit, and inboard sections of the left and right wings. Flight control continuity was established from the ailerons, rudder, and elevators to the cockpit. Control continuity could not be established within the cockpit due to fire damage to the flight controls.
The engine had separated from the main wreckage The propeller and throttle control levers were found in the full forward position. The mixture control lever was found near the full aft position. Engine control cables were continuous from their respective control levers to the engine firewall. The control cables terminated forward of the engine firewall in a manner consistent with overload. A teardown of the engine was performed, and no anomalies were found that could have led to a loss of engine power.
The propeller spinner was removed, and both propeller blades were found to be in a low pitch position. One blade was bent aft about 90° near the midpoint of the blade. Gouges were present on the leading edge of the blade. The other blade was straight and exhibited leading edge gouging and polishing and chordwise scratches.
Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
This August 2019 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
