Steve Weinmiler Strip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Swifton, Arkansas 72471
Tuesady, June 24, 1997 10:00 CDT

The owner of the Ag Cat (Grumman G-164B, N6740Q) had completed an aerial application flight in the airplane about 30 minutes before the accident. The pilot of the accident flight was on his first flight in N6740Q, although he had flown a reported 4000 hours in G-164 airplanes. He assisted in loading the hopper and in refueling the airplane. The airplane's gross weight at takeoff was estimated to be 5,500 pounds. The outside air temperature was approximately 87 degrees and the wind was estimated to be 090 degrees at 4 to 5 knots. The pilot departed to the west with a tailwind; he reported using full power for takeoff. The airplane became airborne, but stayed in ground effect and impacted a fence row and trees (approximately 6 feet in height). Postaccident teardown of the engine revealed that six cylinders were damaged beyond repair, the crank shaft was broken, and the main case was damaged beyond repair. The pilot had recently been flying much larger airplanes until the time of the accident. The investigation could not determined when he last flew a 450 horse powered Ag Cat. Attempts to locate the pilot for an interview were unsuccessful.

the pilot's improper planning/decision. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's lack of recent experience in type of airplane, the weather condition (high temperature and tailwind), and the proximity of the fence and trees to the runway.