Grumman G164 accident near Delaplaine, Arkansas, June 14, 2017
On June 14, 2017 at about 11:20 pm local time, a 1979 Grumman G164, registered N7501Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Delaplaine, Arkansas. 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 loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted in a forced landing on unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2017 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Delaplaine, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G164 C, built 1979 · all G164s on the register
- Registration
- N7501Z · no longer on the register · serial 42C
- 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 aerial application flight. He was approaching a rice field after loading product at the company base when the engine lost partial power. The pilot executed a forced landing into the rice field; the right main landing gear struck a levee, and the airplane flipped inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane or engine and did not show any evidence of fuel. Although the top fuel tank was breached in the accident, the green grass around and underneath the wreckage did not show any evidence of fuel contamination or blight. It is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
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 (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 1,270 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,109 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 2, 2017
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Honeywell TPE331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kin-Co AG Aviation Inc
The flight
- Departed from: Delaplaine AR at 11:00 pm
- Destination: Delaplaine AR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from ARG, 11 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 N7501Z 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.