| Crash location | 42.531111°N, 85.647222°W |
| Nearest city | Martin, MI
42.536978°N, 85.641685°W 0.5 miles away |
| Tail number | N48417 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 06 Sep 2002 |
| Aircraft type | Grumman-Schweizer G-164B |
| Additional details: | None |
On September 6, 2002, at 1045 eastern daylight time, a Grumman G-164B, N48417, collided with the terrain following a loss of directional control during a takeoff initial climb from a private airstrip in Martin, Michigan. The commercial pilot was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The Title 14 CFR Part 137 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and no flight plan was filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot reported the accident occurred on the fifth aerial application flight of the day. He reported that on takeoff at an airspeed of about 50 miles per hour the right aft corner of the hopper lid became unsecured. He reported that the fungicide in the hopper sprayed out and covered the windshield. The pilot reported that because of hazards on both sides and at the end of the runway he felt it was best to continue the takeoff at full power. He stated that he was able to see out the lower right corner of the windshield which was only partially obscured. The pilot stated he then lost control of the airplane and the lower left wing contacted the corn crop on the left edge of the airstrip. The airplane was turned into the crop where it came to rest.
An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office in Belleville, Michigan, reported that the right rear latch on the double gang-bar type latch was not completely closed and it looked as though the latch was bent.
The pilot's inadequate aircraft preflight and his inability to abort the takeoff due to the obscured windshield. Contributing to the accident was the bent hopper latch and the pilot's failure to maintain directional control.