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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2015 · about 4:30 pm local time · cases in 2015
- 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 other cases naming the engine
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › (general) › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Inadequate inspection other cases naming the engine
- 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on March 16, 2016. 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 | FAA Telephone Conversation with Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Accident Notes | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Maintenance Log | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Map of Accident Site | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Weather Reports | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Report Photos | PDF, 5 pages | 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
- N963X: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Grumman G-164 119 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Grumman 443 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt and Whitney R-1340 1,229 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Wamego Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Kansas 1,147 since 1982 · 149 in the last ten years
- Kansas 5,760 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN15LA330.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.