Grumman G-164A accident near Emmett, Kansas, July 31, 2015
On July 31, 2015 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1968 Grumman G-164A, registered N963X, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Emmett, Kansas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The engine failure due to several loose, damaged cylinder stud nuts and hold-down bolts. Contributing to the accident was maintenance personnel’s failure to detect that the cylinder nuts and hold-down bolts were not properly secured during the engine’s most recent inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2015 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Emmett, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164A, built 1968 · all G-164As on the register
- Registration
- N963X · no longer on the register · serial 477
- 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 conducting an agricultural application flight. The pilot reported that, while making a spray run, he heard a loud "bang" and saw a puff of smoke emanate from the upper right side of the engine, followed by the propeller seizing. He made a forced landing in a field, and the airplane collided with some bushes and then nosed over. Examination of the engine revealed several loose cylinder stud nuts and hold-down bolts that appeared to have been pushed up on the cylinder skirt. Several of the studs, particularly the No. 4 cylinder stud, were stretched and looked to be nearly pushed out of the engine crankcase. One cylinder was almost separated from the crankcase. Examination of the airplane's maintenance logbooks revealed that the engine had received a major overhaul more than 8 years before the accident. The records indicated that, since that time, inspections of the cylinder heads and the cylinder hold-down studs had been conducted in compliance with two Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness directives. The engine was last inspected about 3 months before the accident. During this inspection, maintenance personnel checked the cylinder bases and heads for cracks and loose studs; however, they did not detect that the cylinder nuts and hold-down bolts were not properly secured.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › (general) › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Inadequate inspection
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Inadequate inspection
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 600 as pilot in command; 20 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 30, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,730 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 18, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 4,497 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Precision Aerial Ag, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 69K Wamego KS at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 69K Wamego KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from KMHK, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN15LA330.