Gulfstream-Schweizer GULFSTREAM AM G 164B accident near Eagle Lake, Texas, August 13, 2013
On August 13, 2013 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1979 Gulfstream-Schweizer GULFSTREAM AM G 164B, registered N8222K, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Eagle Lake, Texas (Eagle Lake airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 failure of one of the engine cylinders, which resulted in the total loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 2013 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Eagle Lake, Texas · Eagle Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Gulfstream-Schweizer GULFSTREAM AM G 164B B, built 1979
- Registration
- N8222K · registry record · serial 617-B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting a repositioning flight from the airport to a private agricultural airstrip. The pilot reported that, about 2 minutes into the flight, the engine lost rpm. He then saw smoke coming out of the engine cowl, and oil began to splatter onto the windshield. As the airplane started to descend, the pilot maneuvered it to land in a plowed field. After touchdown, the pilot intentionally ground looped the airplane to avoid striking a canal bank, and it then came to rest upright. An examination of the airplane and radial engine revealed that one of the engine cylinders had failed. No other engine anomalies were found. The pilot reported that the most recent annual inspection was completed about 3 months before the accident at a total airframe time of 16,692 hours. No other information about the engine and its previous maintenance history was found during the investigation.
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 defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 8,519 hours in all; 8,000 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: March 14, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,692 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 3,750 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: ELA Eagle Lake TX at 8:25 pm
- Destination: Wallace TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 pm from ARM, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N8222K the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.