Grumman G-164A accident near Seneca, Kansas, May 29, 2003
On May 29, 2003 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N29SK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Seneca, Kansas (Private 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing. Factors contributing to the accident were the collapse of the left main landing gear strut and the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2003 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Seneca, Kansas · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164A · all G-164As on the register
- Registration
- N29SK · no longer on the register · serial 1354
- 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 sustained substantial damage when the left main landing gear collapsed and it impacted a ditch during landing. The pilot reported the airplane turned abruptly to the right after touchdown. The pilot stated he applied left rudder to gain control of the airplane and the airplane slid sideways down the runway. The left main landing gear strut collapsed, the left wing struck the runway, and the airplane slid into a ditch. An on-scene inspection of the airplane showed no anomalies in the main landing gear brakes or brake assemblies. The right main landing gear strut was intact.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 1,900 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,635 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 5, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Seneca KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KFNB, 27 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 N29SK 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.