Schweizer G-164B accident near Ferriday, Louisiana, September 17, 1996
On September 17, 1996 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Schweizer G-164B, registered N8498K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ferriday, Louisiana (Private Agstrip airport). 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 partial loss of engine power due to a cracked cylinder head. Factors were the oil leak which restricted the pilot's visual lookout and 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
- September 17, 1996 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ferriday, Louisiana · Private Agstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer G-164B
- Registration
- N8498K · no longer on the register · serial 715B
- 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 pilot reported that during the airplane's takeoff climb, the engine lost power, and the windshield became coated with oil. The pilot 'immediately began a shallow right turn attempting to return to the airstrip.' During the descent, the airplane's spray boom caught the tall weeds 'causing a loss of airspeed.' The airplane impacted the ground short of the runway threshold and came to rest on its nose. The engine separated from the airframe, all four wings were damaged, and the landing gear separated from the fuselage. The salvage yard owner who performed a partial engine examination and tear down reported finding metal throughout the engine and one cylinder head cracked.
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: 1,287 hours in all; 445 in the last 90 days; 250 in the last 30 days; 1,238 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,005 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 28, 1996; 672 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ag-Cats, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°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 N8498K 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.