Grumman 164-B accident near Fontaine, Arkansas, May 24, 2005
On May 24, 2005 at about 5:01 am local time, a Grumman 164-B, registered N3629K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fontaine, Arkansas. 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 clearance during a downwind takeoff with a full load of fertilizer. Factor contributing to the accident were the prevailing tailwind and the high density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2005 · about 5:01 am local time
- Place
- Fontaine, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman 164-B
- Registration
- N3629K · registry record · serial 748B
- 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 9,100-hour commercial pilot reported that with the aircraft full of fuel (80 gallons) and a load of 2,250 pounds of fertilizer, he set engine power and departed downwind (10 mph tailwind) on a 2,600 foot by 20 foot paved runway. During the departure, the airplane's main landing gear "clipped" the top of a levee just beyond the departure end of runway 22. The pilot stated that he lowered the nose and flew in ground-effect until he could accelerate and fly "up-and-over" some powerlines. After clearing the powerlines the airplane started to "settle", the pilot decided to dump the load of fertilizer and start a shallow turn into the wind. With the airplane continuing to "settle", the pilot elected to land on a dirt road; however, the airplane struck some trees and an electric wire, causing the airplane to pitch down and impact the ground. The density altitude was calculated at 1,964 feet.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,124 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 9,014 as pilot in command; 1,217 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,649 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2005; 39 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allied Signal TPE-331-2 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Scott Flying Service, Inc
The flight
- Departed from: Fontaine AR at 6:00 pm
- Destination: Fontaine AR
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from JBR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N3629K 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.