NTSB Factual Report

On June 5, 2002, at 1845 central daylight time (cdt), a Grumman G-164A, N7835, operated by Hart Flying Service of Langdon, North Dakota, was destroyed after landing when the aircraft veered into a ditch while taxiing and caught fire. The landing had been executed on a gravel road in Langdon, North Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was operated as an aerial application flight operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137 without a flight plan. The pilot exited the airplane prior to it catching fire and reported no injuries. The aircraft was being relocated at the time of the accident.

According to the pilot's written statement, "I flew the plane from one farm to the other, after I landed on the road I was taxiing and a gust of wind picked up the right wing and lifted me away from the road and into the ditch where the left wing hit first and ruptured the fuel tank, that started a fire that destroyed the plane." According to a diagram drawn by the pilot, the aircraft landed to the south and impacted the ditch on the left side of the gravel road. The pilot reported the wind to be out of the southwest at 15 knots gusting to 25 knots at the time of the accident.

At 1853 cdt, the wind was reported to be 210 degrees at 9 knots at the Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), Grand Forks, North Dakota located 120 magnetic degrees and 68 nautical miles from the accident site.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot did not maintain directional control while taxiing. A contributing factor was the wind gust condition present at the time of the accident.