Primary finding
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported he was unable to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll on a grass strip. The airplane went off the runway to the right and into a wheat field. No preaccident mechanical abnormalities were reported by the pilot.
Source record
Factual narrative
On July 12, 1993, about 1930 central daylight time, a Grumman G164B airplane, N48518, sustained substantial damage during an attempted takeoff from a private airstrip near Eldred, Minnesota. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. The local, aerial application flight operated without flight plan in visual meteorological conditions under 14 CFR Part 137. The pilot reported he was unable to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll on a grass strip. The airplane went off the runway to the right and into a wheat field. No preaccident mechanical abnormalities were reported by the pilot. -