Grumman 164B accident near East Bernard, Texas, August 31, 2004
On August 31, 2004 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Grumman 164B, registered N8222K, was substantially damaged in an accident near East Bernard, 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
The loss of engine power as result of the failure of the number four cylinder. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2004 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- East Bernard, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman 164B
- Registration
- N8222K · registry record · serial 617-B
- 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 27,940-hour pilot reported that during an aerial application of chemicals, the radial engine on his agricultural airplane began to "cough and pop" prior to a loss of engine power. Upon this loss of power, the pilot executed an emergency landing into a flooded rice field. The airplane impacted the terrain and nosed-over coming to rest in the inverted position. Examination of the aircraft by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the number four cylinder on the engine was cracked at the barrel.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 27,940 hours in all; 10,000 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: January 14, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,378 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 17, 2004; 522 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,020 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: East Bernard TX at 10:00 pm
- Destination: East Bernard TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 10:30 pm from KSGR, 26 miles away
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 N8222K 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.