Grumman-Schweizer G-164A accident near Morse, Louisiana, June 15, 1989
On June 15, 1989 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Grumman-Schweizer G-164A, registered N8916H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Morse, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. THE SOFT TERRAIN WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 1989 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Morse, 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-164A
- Registration
- N8916H · registry record · serial 1613
- 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 AG ACFT WAS DEPARTING A PVT STRIP WITH A LOAD OF CHEMICALS. AS IT WAS CLIMBING THRU APRX 100' AGL, THE PLT STARTED TO REDUCE POWER, THEN THE ENG LOST ALL POWER. THE PLT DUMPED THE CHEMICAL LOAD & MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A BEAN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE WHEELS ENCOUNTERED SOFT TERRAIN & THE ACFT NOSED OVER. AN EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED ONLY A MINOR CRACK ON THE #5 CYLINDER, NEAR THE FRONT SPARK PLUG HOLE. NO REASON FOR THE RPRTD POWER LOSS COULD BE FOUND.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,133 hours in all; 1,635 in this make and model; 410 in the last 90 days; 168 in the last 30 days; 4,013 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,171 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1989; 440 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,075 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N8916H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW89DRD07.