Grumman G-164A accident near Sublette, Kansas, March 15, 1994
On March 15, 1994, a Grumman G-164A, registered N9686, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sublette, Kansas. 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 commercial pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain. Related factors are sun glare and rising terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 1994
- Place
- Sublette, Kansas · 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
- N9686 · no longer on the register · serial 1211
- 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 STATED HE WAS INVOLVED IN AERIAL APPLICATION OF HERBICIDE. HE REPORTED HE WAS MAKING A SPRAY RUN ON A WESTERLY HEADING WITH THE SUN IN HIS EYES AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED RISING TERRAIN. THE PILOT STATED THE TERRAIN ROSE SHARPLY AND HE DID NOT NOTICE THE INCREASE IN TERRAIN ELEVATION.
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
- Flight time: 6,300 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 6,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,075 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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.