Grumman G-164B accident near Pine Hill, Alabama, November 9, 2006
On November 9, 2006 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Grumman G-164B, registered N962QC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pine Hill, Alabama. 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 improper fuel management resulting in a total loss of engine power in cruise flight due to fuel exhaustion, subsequent forced landing to non suitable terrain, and an on-ground collision with tree stumps on the landing roll out.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 2006 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pine Hill, Alabama
- 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
- N962QC · registry record · serial 428B
- 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 stated that he completed five aerial application sorties before returning for fuel and fertilizer. The fuel and fertilizer was added to the airplane, and the pilot assumed the airplane had been topped off with fuel. The pilot did not visually check the fuel tanks. The airplane holds 82 gallons of fuel of which 2 gallons are unusable. The airplane burns 44 gallons of fuel per hour and it burns 15 gallons of fuel while at flight idle when the airplane is being loaded with fuel or fertilizer. The pilot stated that he was not sure how much fuel the airplane uses for taxi, takeoff, and climb to his cruise altitude. The pilot departed and flew five additional sorties before returning 1 hour 27 minutes later. The airplane remained at flight idle while fertilizer was loaded onto the airplane and no fuel was added. The pilot departed, climbed to 700 feet, and was in cruise flight when the engine lost power. The pilot turned to the left and made a forced landing to a field where trees had been harvested. The landing gear collided with the tree stumps on landing roll out, separated the landing gear, and the airframe received structural damage. Examination of the airplane by recovery personnel revealed that the fuel tank was not ruptured and no fuel was present in the fuel tank. No fuel spill was observed nor was there a presence of the smell of fuel at the crash site. The fuel line from the fuel tank to the airframe filters was severed. The main fuel line from the airframe filters was removed from the main engine fuel pump inlet fitting and residual fuel was present. The opposite end of the fuel line was removed from the exit side of the airframe filters and no fuel was present. The main fuel line to the engine was disconnected and no fuel was present. The fuel line from the inlet side of the airframe filters was disconnected and no fuel was present. The engine assembly was transported to an authorized repair facility. The engine assembly was installed in a test cell. The engine started in 22 seconds on the first attempt. The engine vibrated which was attributed to a suspected bent propeller shaft. All ground idle operations were normal. The fuel control unit and propeller governor were damaged. When power was applied, the fuel control unit and propeller governor would not govern the engine rpm. The engine was shut down, started three additional times, and ran for about 30 minutes.
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
- Flight time: 1,878 hours in all; 1,878 in this make and model; 156 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 10,139 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,267 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 2006; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,075 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Airesearch TPE-331-1-151 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 71A Pine Hill AL at 4:12 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 am from KGZH
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.