Grumman-Schweizer G-164B accident near Fenton, Louisiana, May 1, 2005
On May 1, 2005 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Grumman-Schweizer G-164B, registered N63E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fenton, Louisiana. 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 fuel starvation as a result of blockage of the firewall fuel filter with an unknown contaminant. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2005 · about 12:30 pm local time · cases in 2005
- Place
- Fenton, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman-Schweizer G-164B
- Registration
- N63E · registry record · serial 305B
- 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 2,800-hour pilot was performing an aerial application on a rice field when the airplane's turbine engine lost power. The airplane landed short of a road, struck a drainage canal, bounced and came to rest in a rice field. Examination of the engine revealed that the firewall fuel filter was blocked by an unknown foreign contaminant.
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: 2,800 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Walter M601E-11 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Kinder LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from LCH
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 N63E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N63E on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Walter M601E-11 8 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Louisiana 1,274 since 1982 · 189 in the last ten years
- Louisiana 3,734 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N63E 2 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DFW05LA116.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.