Grumman G-164A accident near Veedersburg, Indiana, July 28, 2008
On July 28, 2008 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N9892, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Veedersburg, Indiana. 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 oil filler cap not reinstalled by the pilot prior to the aerial application flight and the total loss of engine oil during an aerial application. Additional causes were the low altitude of the operation and the unsuitable terrain encountered by the pilot during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2008 · about 2:00 pm local time · cases in 2008
- Place
- Veedersburg, Indiana · 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
- N9892 · registry record · serial 1324
- 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 had serviced the airplane prior to an aerial application flight of a field during which the airplane lost engine power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a northerly direction on a hard surface road near the field, which had corn along its left side and a pole along its right side. While the pilot was trying to avoid the pole along the right side of the road, the airplane impacted the corn and terrain with its left wing resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The left and right wings were buckled and bent from the impact. The pilot was uninjured. Examination of the airplane revealed that the oil filler cap was not installed resulting in a total loss of engine oil. The oil filler cap was found in the lower portion of the engine nacelle.
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 (total) 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 landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level other cases naming the engine
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Not specified
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Incorrect service/maintenance other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,816 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 219 in the last 90 days; 150 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CFJ Crawfordsville IN
- Destination: CFJ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N9892 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9892 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Grumman G-164 119 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Grumman 443 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A 2,217 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Crawfordsville Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Indiana 1,367 since 1982 · 179 in the last ten years
- Indiana 5,705 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N9892 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI08CA217.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.