Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164A accident near Kimball, Nebraska, September 8, 2009
On September 8, 2009 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164A, registered N6761Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Kimball, Nebraska. 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
A loss of engine power due to improper installation of an oil line fitting resulting in oil depletion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2009 · about 2:30 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Kimball, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164A · all G-164As on the register
- Registration
- N6761Q · registry record · serial 1352
- 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 commercial pilot was performing the last pass of an aerial application flight when the engine "backfired" and surged several times. The pilot pulled the emergency fuel shut-off handle and attempted to force land in a field. The airplane overshot the intended landing area and collided with a fence before impacting terrain. A post-crash inspection of the engine revealed that an oil line fitting had been improperly installed resulting in a depletion of oil. An inspection of the airframe did not reveal any anomalies.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Oil system › Incorrect service/maintenance other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 13,423 hours in all; 760 in this make and model; 13,370 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 29, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,460.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 2009; 268 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garrett TPE331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Reisig Brothers Aerial Spray INC
The flight
- Departed from: KBFF Heilig Field NE at 1:45 pm
- Destination: KBFF Heilig Field NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 pm from KIBM, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on January 7, 2010. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N6761Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6761Q on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164 325 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer 325 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Garrett TPE331 7 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Scottsbluff/Western Nebraska Rgnl/Wm B Heilig Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Nebraska 763 since 1982 · 108 in the last ten years
- Nebraska 2,950 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N6761Q 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN09LA574.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.