Grumman G-164 accident near Hillsboro, North Dakota, May 20, 1994
On May 20, 1994 at about 1:00 am local time, a Grumman G-164, registered N551Y, was destroyed in an accident near Hillsboro, North Dakota. 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
the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 1994 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Hillsboro, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164 · all G-164s on the register
- Registration
- N551Y · no longer on the register · serial 116
- 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 reported he was performing aerial application and he pulled up late from a swath run and impacted the top of a tree. He said the airplane was still flying but as it slowed he lost control and impacted the terrain.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 350 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,130 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 1994; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,075 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pro Air Service INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 55°F (13°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.