Grumman G-164A accident near Zellwood, Florida, May 21, 1995
On May 21, 1995 at about 1:50 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N35RA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Zellwood, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CLIMB CAPABILITY AFTER THE BANNER PICKUP FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: SOFT TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1995 · about 1:50 pm local time
- Place
- Zellwood, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164A · all G-164As on the register
- Registration
- N35RA · no longer on the register · serial 1382
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER PICKING UP AN AERIAL ADVERTISING BANNER, THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO 300 FEET, THEN IT STOPPED CLIMBING AND THE AIRSPEED BEGAN DECREASING. HE INCREASED ENGINE POWER, BUT THE AIRSPEED CONTINUED TO DECREASE AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND. HE LOWERED THE NOSE AND DROPPED THE ADVERTISING BANNER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT STILL WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A SOFT FIELD; HOWEVER, WHILE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. DURING A POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE, ENGINE ACCESSORIES AND PROPELLER, NO PRECRASH MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 14,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,547 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 21, 1995; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985-AN14B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Night Hawk Aerial Adv. INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,900 ft; scat at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from ORL, 24 miles away
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.
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.