Grumman G-164A accident near Albion, New York, April 29, 2011
On April 29, 2011 at about 10:40 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N896X, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Albion, New York. 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
A bearing failure in the engine’s supercharger section, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during flight. Contributing to the accident was the soft soil of the forced landing site.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 2011 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- Albion, New York · 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
- N896X · registry record · serial 451
- 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 airplane sustained a total loss of engine power during the aerial application flight. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to a nearby dirt field and conducted a forced landing. Before the airplane came to a full stop it nosed over in the soft soil, damaging the left wing and vertical section of the airplane. The engine was partially disassembled by the pilot/owner. Two bearings in the collector section of the supercharger were damaged and seized, and bearing debris was observed in the collector area. Once the collector was disconnected from the engine, the crankshaft and piston moved freely. A review of the maintenance logbooks revealed no recent repairs related to the bearing failure.
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 (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng supercharger › Failure
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 14,500 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 16,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 17, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,683 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 19, 2011; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,497 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9G6 Albion NY at 10:00 pm
- Destination: 9G6 Albion NY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,600 ft; a few clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from KBUF, 30 miles away
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.