Grumman G-164A accident near Moline, Illinois, July 22, 2007
On July 22, 2007 at about 3:25 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N9828, was destroyed in an accident near Moline, Illinois. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fatigue failure of the engine cylinder during cruise flight resulting in a loss of engine power. Additional causes were the pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed and the resulting inadvertent stall during the forced landing. A contributing factor was the airplane's low altitude at the time of the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2007 · about 3:25 pm local time
- Place
- Moline, Illinois
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164A · all G-164As on the register
- Registration
- N9828 · no longer on the register · serial 1288
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that 15 minutes into the flight the airplane began to lose airspeed. The flight was 300 to 500 feet above ground level en route to the assigned spray field at the time. He noted that although he was at full throttle, the airplane continued to lose airspeed. He subsequently observed oil on the right side of the engine cowling. The pilot recalled banking left to avoid an interstate highway. He commented that the airplane "quit flying" just prior to the landing. The airplane came to rest upright in a corn field. A post impact fire consumed approximately one-half of the aircraft. A post accident inspection revealed that the number 3 engine cylinder head had separated into two sections. Examination of the fracture faces revealed features consistent with a fatigue failure. The failure initiated at the root of the cylinder head thread engaged with the uppermost barrel thread. Engine maintenance records indicated that the engine had accumulated approximately 7,495 hours total time, with about 615 hours since overhaul.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,304 hours in all; 201 in this make and model; 223 in the last 90 days; 194 in the last 30 days; 2,101 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,652 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2007; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,075 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985-14B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DVN Davenport IA at 3:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 3:52 pm from MLI, 10 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 N9828 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.