Ag-Cat Corporation G-164B accident near Wallace, Nebraska, July 26, 2001
On July 26, 2001 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Ag-Cat Corporation G-164B, registered N80083, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wallace, Nebraska. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate preflight planning by the pilot, the pilot initiating the flight with an inadequate fuel supply, and the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing. Factors were the fuel exhaustion, the low altitude and the soft field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2001 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wallace, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ag-Cat Corporation G-164B · all G-164Bs on the register
- Registration
- N80083 · registry record · serial 837B
- 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 airplane was damaged during a forced landing following a complete loss of engine power during an aerial application flight. The pilot said that he had just initiated a pull-up to about 100 feet to return to the airport when there was a total power failure. He said that he checked the magnetos with no change and then executed a forced landing in a, "...soft summer fallow field." A postaccident examination and subsequent engine operational check revealed no anomalies. The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector that he was unsure of the fuel quantity at the time of the accident. In his written report, the pilot reported having 71.7 gallons of fuel on board at the last takeoff.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,707 hours in all; 8,847 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 12,504 as pilot in command; 99 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 2, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 238.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 24, 2000; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,195 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Wallace NE at 1:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from LBF, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N80083 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.