Grumman G-164A accident near Bonita, Louisiana, March 17, 1991
On March 17, 1991 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N9685, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bonita, 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
A POWER LOSS DUE TO A CRACKED CYLINDER. A FACTOR WAS THE SOFT TERRAIN IN WHICH THE FORCED LANDING WAS PERFORMED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1991 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bonita, 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
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
EN ROUTE TO AN AERIAL APPLICATION FIELD THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. A FORCED LANDING WAS PERFORMED INTO AN OPEN FIELD, HOWEVER, DUE TO THE SOFT TERRAIN THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE POWER LOSS WAS DUE TO A CRACKED CYLINDER.
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: 10,163 hours in all; 6,400 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,428 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1990; 142 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Arkla Flyers, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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 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.