Schweizer Aircraft CORP G-164B accident near Rice, Minnesota, August 21, 2023
On August 21, 2023 at about 7:56 pm local time, a 1983 Schweizer Aircraft CORP G-164B, registered N943QC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Rice, Minnesota (Oleen AG Air airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll with a left crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 2023 · about 7:56 pm local time
- Place
- Rice, Minnesota · Oleen AG Air · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer Aircraft CORP G-164B, built 1983 · all G-164Bs on the register
- Registration
- N943QC · registry record · serial 711B
- 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 pilot reported that he performed a straight in landing to a private airstrip. He anticipated a crosswind from the east, so he made the approach with additional airspeed to have more controllability in the crosswind. He stated that he landed about two thirds of the way down the 2,574 ft runway, reduced power, and reduced the propeller pitch to low. The tailwheel settled to the ground at a location on the runway where there was a break in the adjacent tree line. The pilot reported that the crosswind intensified at this point, and the airplane yawed to the left. The left main landing gear exited the paved portion of the runway. The pilot attempted to correct with rudder and brakes; however, the airplane continued off the runway and into a plowed field. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted in the field. The vertical stabilizer was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, wind at an airport 12 nm northwest of the accident site was 090°at 8 knots. The pilot was landing to the south.
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 control on ground during landing defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 8,687 hours in all; 7,500 in this make and model; 155 in the last 90 days; 150 in the last 30 days; 8,617 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 6, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney R1340 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Fort Ripley MN at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,574 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,500 ft; scat at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KLXL, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KLXL 211955Z AUTO 11010KT 073V133 10SM OVC045 25/18 A3017
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N943QC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 CEN23LA375.