Grumman G-164B accident near Swifton, Arkansas, June 24, 1997
On June 24, 1997 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Grumman G-164B, registered N6740Q, was destroyed in an accident near Swifton, Arkansas (Steve Weinmiler Strip 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 pilot's improper planning/decision. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's lack of recent experience in type of airplane, the weather condition (high temperature and tailwind), and the proximity of the fence and trees to the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 1997 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Swifton, Arkansas · Steve Weinmiler Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164B · all G-164Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6740Q · no longer on the register · serial 254B
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner of the Ag Cat (Grumman G-164B, N6740Q) had completed an aerial application flight in the airplane about 30 minutes before the accident. The pilot of the accident flight was on his first flight in N6740Q, although he had flown a reported 4000 hours in G-164 airplanes. He assisted in loading the hopper and in refueling the airplane. The airplane's gross weight at takeoff was estimated to be 5,500 pounds. The outside air temperature was approximately 87 degrees and the wind was estimated to be 090 degrees at 4 to 5 knots. The pilot departed to the west with a tailwind; he reported using full power for takeoff. The airplane became airborne, but stayed in ground effect and impacted a fence row and trees (approximately 6 feet in height). Postaccident teardown of the engine revealed that six cylinders were damaged beyond repair, the crank shaft was broken, and the main case was damaged beyond repair. The pilot had recently been flying much larger airplanes until the time of the accident. The investigation could not determined when he last flew a 450 horse powered Ag Cat. Attempts to locate the pilot for an interview were unsuccessful.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,101 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 11,000 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 6,076 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,640 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from JBR, 30 miles away
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 N6740Q 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.