Grumman G-164A accident near Smyer, Texas, August 28, 1991
On August 28, 1991 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N928X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Smyer, Texas (Walker'S Strip airport). 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
DIRECTIONAL CONTROL NOT MAINTAINED. FACTORS WERE: CROSSWIND, SOFT GROUND, AND HIGH VEGETATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1991 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Smyer, Texas · Walker'S Strip · 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
- N928X · registry record · serial 440
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF WITH A CROSSWIND THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED ONTO THE SOFT RUNWAY SHOULDER. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE BUT STRUCK HIGH VEGETATION. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AND NOSED OVER.
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: 10,500 hours in all; 2,700 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 10,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,513 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 9, 1990; 301 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN91LA119.