Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164A accident near Mansfield, South Dakota, August 10, 2011
On August 10, 2011 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164A, registered N127FC, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Mansfield, South Dakota (Private airport). 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 loss of engine power due to debris in the engine air intake system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2011 · about 10:50 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Mansfield, South Dakota · Private · 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
- N127FC · registry record · serial 1393
- 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 engine gradually lost power after takeoff, and the pilot executed a forced landing to a field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed debris in the engine air intake system, which significantly reduced the air available for combustion. The engine was subsequently removed from the airframe and run in a test cell. The test run revealed no anomalies with respect to engine operation.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during takeoff defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during takeoff
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › Air intake › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Malfunction other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,451 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 25, 2011; 240 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P & W R-985-AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Mansfield SD at 10:50 pm
- Destination: PVT Mansfield SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from ABR, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on November 23, 2011. 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 | Conversation Record -- Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Conversation Record -- Agricultural Service Operator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Correspondence from Agricultural Service Operator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Airplane Maintenance Log | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Engine Maintenance Log | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Sheriff's Office Report | PDF, 3 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 N127FC 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
- N127FC 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: P & W R-985-AN-1 31 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in South Dakota 469 since 1982 · 69 in the last ten years
- South Dakota 2,277 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N127FC 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/CEN11LA563.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.