Grumman G-164A accident near Egeland, North Dakota, July 7, 2012
On July 7, 2012 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N6583, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Egeland, North Dakota (Cando Municipal 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 partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examinations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2012 · about 6:00 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Egeland, North Dakota · Cando Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · 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
- N6583 · registry record · serial 720
- 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 pilot reported that he made two aerial application passes over the wheat field. During the reversal turn on the second pass, the airplane cleared a set of power lines and began to settle. The pilot applied full throttle, but the engine did not respond. He flared the airplane and completed a forced landing to the wheat field. During the landing, the landing gear failed, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The examination of the two propeller blades revealed that they both exhibited leading edge gouges, chordwise scratches, and blade twisting, which is consistent with the engine operating at the time of ground impact. The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of carburetor ice while operating at a sustained idle engine power setting. However, the engine power setting used during the aerial application flight would have been significantly higher than an idle engine setting; therefore, it is unlikely that carburetor ice accumulated during the accident flight.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during maneuvering defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 356 hours in all; 68 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 261 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 4, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9D7 Cando Municipal ND
- Destination: 9D7 Cando Municipal ND
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from RUG, 39 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2014. 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 |
| 2 | Pilot Interview - 1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Interview - 2 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Carburetor Icing Probability Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 1 – View of Damage to Right Wing | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 2 – View of Propeller Blade Gouges | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 3 – Close Up View of Propeller Blade Gouges | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 4 – View of Leading Edge Gouges on Opposite Propeller Blade | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6583 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Grumman G-164 119 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Grumman 443 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W R-985 SERIES 1,593 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Cando Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in North Dakota 581 since 1982 · 59 in the last ten years
- North Dakota 2,493 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA458.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.