Grumman G-164A accident near Bastrop, Louisiana, August 18, 1987
On August 18, 1987 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N9685, suffered minor damage in an accident near Bastrop, Louisiana. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1987 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bastrop, Louisiana · 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
- N9685 · no longer on the register · serial 1206
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THREE FLAGMEN WERE WORKING WITH ONE SPRAY PLANE AND THREE FIELDS. ON THIS PASS, TWO OF THE FLAGMEN MOVED TO THE PROPER POSITIONS BUT THE OTHER ONE HAD MOVED TOO FAR LATERALLY. THE PILOT STATED TO THE SHERIFF THAT HE HAD OBSERVED THE FLAGMAN STEPPING OFF THE PROPER DISTANCE AND SHIFTED HIS ATTENTION TO THE OTHER FLAGMEN. AS HE MADE THE SPRAYING PASS, THE OUTER PORTION OF THE LEFT BOOM STRUCK THE FLAGMAN. THE OPERATOR OF THE SPRAY SERVICE STATED THE FLAGMAN HAD FLAGGED FOR SPRAYING AIRPLANES PREVIOUSLY.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,609 hours in all; 491 in this make and model; 119 in the last 90 days; 2,536 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1987; 200 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 pm from MLU, 32 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 N9685 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.