Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B accident near Big Springs, Nebraska, July 30, 2012
On July 30, 2012 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B, registered N6676Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Big Springs, 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
The total loss of engine power as a result of the pilot inadvertently shutting the engine off. Contributing to the accident was the modification to the engine control layout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2012 · about 9:00 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Big Springs, 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-164B · all G-164Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6676Q · registry record · serial 197B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot adjusted the engine controls of the agricultural airplane for cruise flight. The airplane’s engine then lost power, and the pilot conducted a forced landing in a corn field. The airplane’s engine had previously been converted to another version of the engine. As a result of the conversion, the airplane had a different throttle quadrant; the engine controls were reversed from the previous propeller and mixture layout. The pilot reported that he inadvertently shut the engine off while adjusting the engine for cruise 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 (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › (general) › Design other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 522 hours in all; 245 in this make and model; 282 in the last 90 days; 200 in the last 30 days; 332 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 20, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,818 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 28, 2012
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt&Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Big Springs NE
- Destination: Big Springs NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 2, 2013. 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, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Other Pertinent Forms and Reports (Record of Conversation) | 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.
Other NTSB records under N6676Q 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
- N6676Q 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: Pratt&Whitney R-1340 1,229 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Nebraska 763 since 1982 · 108 in the last ten years
- Nebraska 2,950 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N6676Q 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/CEN12LA497.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.