Grumman G-164A accident near Hamilton, Alabama, April 29, 1993
On April 29, 1993 at about 6:35 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N9696, was destroyed in an accident near Hamilton, Alabama. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY CALCULATE FUEL CONSUMPTION AT AN INCREASED POWER SETTING, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. TREES AT THE FORCED LANDING AREA WERE A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 1993 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Hamilton, Alabama · 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
- N9696 · registry record · serial 1229
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ABOUT ONE HOUR AND FORTY TWO MINUTES INTO THE FERRY FLIGHT, THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FORCE LANDED INTO FORESTED AREA, WHERE IT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND TERRAIN. THE PILOT CALCULATED THAT THERE WAS ABOUT TWO HOURS AND TWENTY MINUTES OF FUEL ON BOARD WHEN THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED. THE OPERATOR PROVIDED FUEL BURN DATA FROM PREVIOUS FLIGHTS, HOWEVER THIS DATA WAS BASED ON A GROUND SPEED OF ABOUT 78 KNOTS, WITH 28 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND 2,000 RPM. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AVERAGE GROUND SPEED DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS ABOUT 100 KNOTS, WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A HIGHER ENGINE POWER SETTING. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A FUEL LEAK.
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: 3,980 hours in all; 2,900 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 3,930 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 6, 1992; 350 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Coates Flying Service, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: M28 Hayti MO at 5:44 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from MSL, 40 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL93LA084.