Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B accident near Chillicothe, Missouri, July 9, 2010
On July 9, 2010 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B, registered N6513K, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Chillicothe, Missouri (Chillicothe Municipal Airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2010 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chillicothe, Missouri · Chillicothe Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B · all G-164Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6513K · no longer on the register · serial 347B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aerial application flight was one of several that day at the same aircraft weight, ambient temperature, and wind speed. Due to some variable winds, the pilot elected to takeoff in a different direction from the previous flights. Approximately 30 feet above ground level and above the tree line, the pilot felt the airplane begin to sink and he was unable to maintain altitude. He stated, "I believe there was a very small wind shear or wind shift just above the tree line and I had not yet achieved enough forward airspeed to overcome the loss in lift." The airplane impacted terrain and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane revealed the engine was separated from the airframe and the empennage was bent. No anomalies were noted with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The accident day was the first time the pilot conducted aerial application flight activity.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 23, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 14, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 6,582 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHT Chillicothe MO at 11:15 pm
- Destination: CHT Chillicothe MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,899 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.