Grumman G-164B accident near Vanndale, Arkansas, May 17, 1991
On May 17, 1991 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Grumman G-164B, registered N8106K, was destroyed in an accident near Vanndale, Arkansas. 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 PILOT'S FAILURE TO VERIFY HIS WEIGHT AND BALANCE. A FACTOR WAS THE SOFT TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 17, 1991 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Vanndale, Arkansas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164B · all G-164Bs on the register
- Registration
- N8106K · no longer on the register · serial 567B
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AGRICULTURE OPERATIONS THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING LOADED BY AN UNSUPERVISED HELPER WHO WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH WEIGHT LIMITATIONS OF THE AIRPLANE. THE HELPER FILLED THE HOPPER TO THE TOP. THE PILOT DID NOT CHECK HIS LOAD PRIOR TO TAKEOFF NOR DID HE ATTEMPT TO COMPUTE A WEIGHT AND BALANCE. THE LOAD IN THE HOPPER RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE BEING OVER THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT. FOLLOWING THE TAKEOFF AND DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB THE AIRPLANE FAILED TO ESTABLISH A NORMAL CLIMB RATE AND THE PILOT LANDED IN A CULTIVATED FIELD AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SANK INTO THE SOFT EARTH AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER TO THE INVERTED POSITION.
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: 18,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 18,000 as pilot in command; 3,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 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
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.