Grumman G-164 accident near Knobel, Arkansas, August 9, 2005
On August 9, 2005 at about 10:55 pm local time, a Grumman G-164, registered N9041Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Knobel, Arkansas. 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 loss of engine power due to the failure of the #1 cylinder head. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2005 · about 10:55 pm local time
- Place
- Knobel, Arkansas · 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
- N9041Q · no longer on the register · serial 1697
- 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 1,013-hour commercial pilot, was making the last aerial application pass before returning for another load, when he heard a "pop, and the engine started missing." The pilot lined up for a forced landing on a grass strip, that was about a quarter of a mile from his location. However; the airplane impacted the ground approximately 200 yards short of the airstrip. The airplane bounced once and impacted the muddy field, and nosed over. An examination of the radial engine revealed that the number one cylinder head had cracked and separated from the barrel.
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: 1,013 hours in all; 340 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 895 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,818 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2005
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Corning Farm Supply, Inc
The flight
- Departed from: 4M9 Corning AR
- Destination: 4M9 Corning AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from ARG, 20 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N9041Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.