Grumman G-164A accident near Leslie, Georgia, March 10, 1987
On March 10, 1987 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N8721H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leslie, Georgia. 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
- March 10, 1987 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Leslie, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164A · all G-164As on the register
- Registration
- N8721H · no longer on the register · serial 1491
- 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 PLT REPORTED LOSING POWER SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF; A FORCED LDG WAS SUBSEQUENTLY MADE IN A FRESHLY-PLOWED FIELD WHERE THE ACFT FLIPPED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A CRACKED #7 CYL HEAD. FAA SERVICE DIFFICULTY REPORTS (SDR'S) INDICATED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 20 SIMILAR CASES OF CYL CRACKING ON P&W R-1340 ENGINES BETWEEN JANUARY 1980 AND APRIL 1987.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,340 hours in all; 3,148 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 13,266 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,129 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 12, 1986; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,075 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Leslie GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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 N8721H 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.