Grumman-Schweizer G-164B accident near Ville Platte, Louisiana, June 6, 1989
On June 6, 1989 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Grumman-Schweizer G-164B, registered N6693Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ville Platte, 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
WEAR AND/OR FAILURE OF THE CARBURETOR/FLOAT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE TERRAIN CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 1989 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ville Platte, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman-Schweizer G-164B
- Registration
- N6693Q · no longer on the register · serial 212B
- 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 PLT WAS RETURNING TO THE LANDING STRIP WHEN THE ENG LOST POWER & WOULD NOT RESTART. DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING, THE ACFT HIT A DITCH THAT WAS HIDDEN BY TALL GRASS, THEN NOSED OVER. AN EXAM OF THE CARBURETOR REVEALED THREE CRACKS IN THE FLOAT AND WEAR OF THE SHAFT, BUSHINGS, MIXTURE CONTROL FLANGE & FLOAT NEEDLE.
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: 13,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 12,950 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,153 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 11, 1988; 308 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,075 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 16,000 ft; scat at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:36 pm from LFT, 40 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 N6693Q 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.