Grumman G-164 accident near Council Grove, Kansas, June 14, 1997
On June 14, 1997 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Grumman G-164, registered N663B, was destroyed in an accident near Council Grove, Kansas. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's selection of an unsuitable area for landing and the fence post. Factors relating to this accident were the pilot's inability to see the fence post due to the high vegetation, and the soft dirt.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 1997 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Council Grove, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164 · all G-164s on the register
- Registration
- N663B · registry record · serial 205
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he 'was landing to the north when the lower left wing and boom hit a steel fence post that was obscured by the wheat.' The airplane skidded left off of the road into a soybean field. The wheels dug into the soft dirt. The airplane nosed forward, caught the right lower wing and flipped over on it's back. The pilot said, 'The impact of the overturn ruptured the fuel tank. I quickly released the seat belt and exited the aircraft. The aircraft burst into flames and was destroyed by fire.' Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies.
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: 6,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 5,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,790 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1996; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,725 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from MHK, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI97LA167.