Grumman G-164A accident near Newport, Arkansas, July 25, 2008
On July 25, 2008 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N519Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Newport, 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 pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing factors were the high temperature and tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2008 · about 4:30 pm local time · cases in 2008
- Place
- Newport, Arkansas · 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
- N519Y · registry record · serial 156
- 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 1,034-hour commercial pilot departed the airport to make an agricultural application. During the initial climb, the pilot initiated a left turn and when the airplane encountered a tailwind the airplane, loaded with fertilizer, began to "settle." Sufficient altitude was not available for the pilot to arrest the descent rate prior to ground impact, so the pilot elected to perform a forced landing into a cornfield. The airplane nosed over during the forced landing and came to rest in the inverted position. The pilot was able to egress the airplane without injuries. An automated weather reporting station at the airport reported the local temperature as 93 degrees Fahrenheit.
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 control in flight during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High temperature › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,034 hours in all; 572 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 967 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,575 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2008
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M19 Newport AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from M19
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N519Y 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
- N519Y on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Grumman G-164 119 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Grumman 443 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R985 1,593 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Newport Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Arkansas 1,582 since 1982 · 176 in the last ten years
- Arkansas 3,493 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N519Y 1 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/DFW08CA199.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.