Amateur-built G-164A accident near North English, Iowa, July 21, 2011
On July 21, 2011 at about 10:30 pm local time, a amateur-built G-164A, registered N5439, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near North English, Iowa (White Pigeon 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 improper flare which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2011 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- North English, Iowa · White Pigeon Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built G-164A
- Registration
- N5439 · no longer on the register · serial 1158
- 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 pilot stated that he was attempting a landing into the sun with agricultural chemical on the windshield. He said that a sudden air burst pushed the airplane down, which resulted in a hard landing. The airplane then bounced and impacted the runway causing substantial damage to the fuselage. Weather reports for the area did not indicate the presence of weather that would have resulted in an air burst.
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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Physical › Sensory ability/limitation › Visual function › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Glare › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 2,508 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 29,750 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 20, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,554.2 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 16, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garret Airesearch TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kirk Aviation Inc
The flight
- Departed from: 7IA1 North English IA at 9:20 pm
- Destination: North English IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,400 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from AWG, 26 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N5439 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.