Gulfstream-Schweizer A/C CORP G-164B accident near Bonifay, Florida, July 25, 2014
On July 25, 2014 at about 1:23 pm local time, a 1979 Gulfstream-Schweizer A/C CORP G-164B, registered N425LS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Bonifay, Florida (Tri-County Airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 partial blockage of the No. 2 bearing oil nozzle jet by bearing material, which resulted in oil starvation and the subsequent failure of the No. 2 bearing and total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2014 · about 1:23 pm local time
- Place
- Bonifay, Florida · Tri-County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Gulfstream-Schweizer A/C CORP G-164B, built 1979
- Registration
- N425LS · registry record · serial 598B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting a cross-country positioning flight in the turboprop airplane. The pilot reported that, while on approach to the destination airport, the propeller began wind-milling, and "pieces of metal" began coming out of the right engine exhaust duct. The pilot subsequently conducted a forced landing, during which the airplane struck trees. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 2 bearing oil nozzle jet was partially blocked, which resulted in oil starvation and the subsequent disintegration of the No. 2 roller bearing. The material blocking the oil nozzle jet was consistent with material used in the composition of the bearing races and rollers. A review of maintenance records revealed that the No. 1 engine bearing had failed about 1,000 flight hours before the accident and was replaced along with the No. 2 bearing. In addition, the Nos. 1 through 5 bearings were replaced about 300 flight hours before the accident. The investigation could not determine if the No. 2 bearing oil nozzle jet was blocked by bearing material as a result of the previous bearing failure or if the blockage developed during the engine's subsequent operation.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Oil system › Damaged/degraded
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 6,741 hours in all; 1,192 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 6,684 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 31, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,784 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 9, 2014
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-27 (turboprop); 19,059 hours total
- Operator: Croom Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 17J Donalsonville GA at 1:00 pm
- Destination: 1J0 Bonifay FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 12:58 pm from 1J0, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on September 22, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpts of Summary Report from Technical Advisor | PDF, 52 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpts from Maintenance Records | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15, and NTSB Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N425LS 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.