Grumman G-164A accident near Bovina, Texas, July 18, 2008
On July 18, 2008 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N7832, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Bovina, Texas. 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
Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2008 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bovina, Texas · 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
- N7832 · no longer on the register · serial 783
- 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 a manuever to reverse direction the airplane experienced a loss of engine power. When the 1,850-hour commerical pilot was unable to restore power, he dumped the remaining agricultural applicant and elected to perform an emergency landing into a cornfield. During the landing roll the airplane experienced substantial damage. The pilot was able to egress the airplane. A post-crash inspection did not reveal the reason for the loss of engine power.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,850 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 150 in the last 30 days; 1,750 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2008
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Bovina TX at 10:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.