Grumman G-164B accident near Paul, Idaho, July 12, 1999
On July 12, 1999 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Grumman G-164B, registered N8005C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paul, Idaho (Rocky Ridge Airstrip 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 attain adequate airspeed during takeoff and initial climb, resulting in stall/mush and inability of the aircraft to sustain level flight. Factors included high density altitude, a tailwind, an uphill takeoff surface, and crops in the area where the aircraft settled back to earth.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 1999 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Paul, Idaho · Rocky Ridge Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164B · all G-164Bs on the register
- Registration
- N8005C · registry record · serial 836B
- 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 took off with 1,700 pounds of fertilizer (within the airplane's maximum demonstrated operating load) and approximately 3/4 fuel on an aerial application flight. The airstrip the pilot took off from slopes uphill at the end. The pilot stated that at an altitude of 5 to 10 feet above the ground after takeoff, 'a tailwind came up' and he was unable to stay airborne. The aircraft settled into a wheat field and flipped over approximately 500 feet past the end of the airstrip. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunction or failure was involved in the accident. He reported the accident site was 4,300 feet above sea level, and that temperature at the time of takeoff was 92 degrees F. Density altitude at this pressure altitude and temperature was 7,500 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,951 hours in all; 4,312 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 5,895 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 17, 1999
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-1-151G (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 3,000 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 245° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N8005C 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.