Grumman G-164C accident near Gunnison, Mississippi, August 27, 1982
On August 27, 1982 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Grumman G-164C, registered N6787K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gunnison, Mississippi. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 1982 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Gunnison, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164C · all G-164Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6787K · no longer on the register · serial 156781
- 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 REPORTED THAT HE SMELLED SOMETHING HOT WHILE SPRAYING. HE CHECKED THE INSTRUMENTS AND NOTED THAT THE OIL TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS INDICATING OFF THE HIGH SIDE OF THE SCALE. HE STARTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING BUT THE ENGINE SEIZED DURING FINAL APPROACH. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A FRESHLY PLOWED FIELD WHERE THE PLANE NOSED OVER. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT A MASTER ROD SPACER, PN 117547, HAD FAILED. WITHOUT THIS SPACER THE MASTER ROD WOULD NOT BE PROPERLY LUBRICATED, AND REPORTEDLY, THE ENGINE COULD SEIZE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OVERHAULED 93 HRS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. FOLLOWING THE OVERHAUL, THE ENGINE HAD A PROBLEM LEAKING OIL PAST THE VALVES, SO IT WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE OVERHAUL FACILITY. SEVEN CYLINDERS WERE REMOVED AND REWORKED. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED FOLLOWING A BRIEF BREAK-IN PERIOD AFTER THAT.
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: 6,000 hours in all; 430 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,009 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 94 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright R-1820-71 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Gunnison MS at 3:00 pm
- Destination: Gunnison MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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 N6787K 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.