Grumman G-164A accident near Swifton, Arkansas, March 22, 1997
On March 22, 1997 at about 11:10 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N8922H, was destroyed in an accident near Swifton, 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 pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision and failure to maintain positive control of the airplane, while performing an aerobatic maneuver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 1997 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Swifton, Arkansas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164A · all G-164As on the register
- Registration
- N8922H · no longer on the register · serial 1566
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had reported for work about 0700 & had flown about 9 hrs of application work before the accident. A witness reported that the airplane came from the west & 'buzzed the operations trailer and came up for a hammer head but I could tell he was too low for it when it broke over, that was about 100 to 150 feet high.' Another witness observed the airplane 'buzz the trailer by the runway and pull up into a roll.' This witness further stated that the pilot 'does rolls often, but this time the plane stalled before he got high enough to finish his roll.' The owner of the airplane stated that he had counseled the pilot on 'several occasions' to stop performing aerobatics in his airplane. The pilot was flying with a Statement of Demonstrated Ability for no vision in his left eye. A bottle of hydrocodone pills (a norcotic painkiller) was found on the pilot at the scene. Toxicology tests revealed 0.099 mcg/ml trazodone (a sedating antidepressant) in the pilot's blood and 0.434 mcg/ml trazodone & 0.056 mcg/ml norpropoxyphene (a less active metabolite of propoxyphene, a narcotic painkiller) in the pilot's urine. No hydrocodone or hydrocodone metabolites were reported in the blood or urine.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,105 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 2, 2006; 371 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,075 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°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 N8922H 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.