Grumman G-164 accident near Wilmot, Arkansas, August 11, 1997
On August 11, 1997, a Grumman G-164, registered N634U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wilmot, Arkansas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to a fractured throttle cable because the cable housing prevents an inspection of the cable by maintenance personnel. Factors were the pilot's impairment due to a heart attack, the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing, and the pilot's failure to use the seat belt/shoulder harness.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 1997
- Place
- Wilmot, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164 · all G-164s on the register
- Registration
- N634U · no longer on the register · serial 370
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Pilot initiated a forced landing following a total loss of engine power. Examination revealed a fractured throttle cable due to excessive wear & fatigue cracking. The fractured area of the cable was not accessible for inspection due to its location within the cable housing. The 1965 aircraft had accumulated 10,001.96 hours. No evidence was found that the throttle cable had ever been replaced. Mid-afternoon, the pilot felt nauseated; however, he continued the aerial application flights. A land owner found the airplane upside down in a cotton field and called 911. Seat belt/shoulder harness was not worn. Autopsy results indicated the pilot's cause of death as 'acute thrombosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery complicated by multiple injuries sustained in the accident. The pathologists reported that the autopsy demonstrated evidence of compressional asphyxia.'
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: 15,313 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,035 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 19, 1997; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985-AN-14B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wilmot Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°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 N634U 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.