Grumman 164B accident near Brinkley, Arkansas, July 19, 1991
On July 19, 1991 at about 11:00 am local time, a Grumman 164B, registered N8491K, was destroyed in an accident near Brinkley, 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
A BLOCKED FUEL SCREEN WHICH RESULTED IN A FUEL STARVATION INDUCED LOSS OF POWER. 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
- July 19, 1991 · about 11:00 am local time
- Place
- Brinkley, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman 164B
- Registration
- N8491K · registry record · serial 711B
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE RETURNING TO THE LOCAL AIRPORT TO RELOAD, THIS AERIAL APPLICATION AIRPLANE SUSTAINED A LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO REACH A SUITABLE SITE AND COLLIDED WITH A TREE DURING LANDING. A BLACK POWDER-LIKE SUBSTANCE WAS FOUND BLOCKING THE FUEL SCREEN. NO SOURCE FOR THE CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND. FUEL SCREEN BLOCKAGE RESULTED IN THE FUEL STARVATION LOSS OF POWER.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 8,000 in this make and model; 500 in the last 90 days; 360 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,205 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 21, 1991; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-43A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Chism Flying Service, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°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.
Other NTSB records under N8491K 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.