Grumman G-164A accident near Hatley, Georgia, August 15, 1983
On August 15, 1983 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N7904, was destroyed in an accident near Hatley, Georgia. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. 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 15, 1983 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hatley, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164A · all G-164As on the register
- Registration
- N7904 · no longer on the register · serial 810
- Damage
- Destroyed
- 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 WHILE SPRAYING A COTTON FIELD AT APRX 60 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE MADE A POPPING SOUND AND THEN LOST POWER. THE PILOT LANDED IN A COTTON FIELD WHERE THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OVER ON ITS BACK AND WAS DESTROYED BY THE POST IMPACT FIRE. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED: SCORING OF THE 5# CYLINDER, NO OIL IN THE CASE OR EVIDENCE OF OIL RESIDUE; EXHAUST STACK WEAR THE #2 AND #3 CYLINDERS WAS DAMAGED BY EXCESSIVE HEAT. THE EXHAUST STACK APPEARS TO HAVE WORKED LOOSE IN FLIGHT CAUSING EXCESSIVE HEAT TO BE DIRECTED TOWARD THE #2, 3 AND 4 CYLINDER HEADS TO MELT OFF.
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: 2,473 hours in all; 2,128 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,728 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 30, 1983; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,725 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Haley Airstrip at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°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.
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.