Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Swifton, Arkansas 72741
Saturday, March 22, 1997 17:10 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot had reported for work about 0700 & had flown about 9 hrs of application work before the accident. A witness reported that the airplane came from the west & 'buzzed the operations trailer and came up for a hammer head but I could tell he was too low for it when it broke over, that was about 100 to 150 feet high.' Another witness observed the airplane 'buzz the trailer by the runway and pull up into a roll.' This witness further stated that the pilot 'does rolls often, but this time the plane stalled before he got high enough to finish his roll.' The owner of the airplane stated that he had counseled the pilot on 'several occasions' to stop performing aerobatics in his airplane. The pilot was flying with a Statement of Demonstrated Ability for no vision in his left eye. A bottle of hydrocodone pills (a norcotic painkiller) was found on the pilot at the scene. Toxicology tests revealed 0.099 mcg/ml trazodone (a sedating antidepressant) in the pilot's blood and 0.434 mcg/ml trazodone & 0.056 mcg/ml norpropoxyphene (a less active metabolite of propoxyphene, a narcotic painkiller) in the pilot's urine. No hydrocodone or hydrocodone metabolites were reported in the blood or urine.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision and failure to maintain positive control of the airplane, while performing an aerobatic maneuver.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/22/1997
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1710
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City SWIFTON
Event State ARKANSAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 72741
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 135
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 560
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 24 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 745
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:10PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8922H
NTSB Number FTW97LA136
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 137: Agricultural
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Grumman
Aircraft Model G-164A
Aircraft Series Identifier G-164A
Aircraft Serial Number 1566
Certified Max Gross Weight 6075
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 2 2006 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 371
Airframe Hours 5105
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BOBBY C. NORRIS
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 146
Aircraft Owner City SWIFTON
Aircraft Owner State AR
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 72741
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code MBQG
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Agriculture
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Unknown
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Unknown
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Unknown
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Aerial Application
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code NONE
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --