Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G 164A accident near Bakersfield, California, June 9, 2015
On June 9, 2015 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1971 Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G 164A, registered N8372, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Bakersfield, California. 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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, resulting in a runway excursion, and a collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2015 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bakersfield, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G 164A A, built 1971 · all G 164As on the register
- Registration
- N8372 · no longer on the register · serial 866
- 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 landing roll, a right quartering tailwind pushed the tail to the left, the airplane exited the dirt strip to the right, where the lower right wing of the bi-plane struck an embankment. The airplane collided with a ditch and nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to both the upper and lower left wings. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 366 in this make and model; 1,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 26, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,082.4 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 29, 2015; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney R-1340-AN1 (piston); 10,155 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIT Shafter CA at 5:00 am
- Destination: MIT Shafter CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 6:11 pm from KBFL, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 10, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 – Upper Left Wing (Photo Courtesy of the FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 2 – Lower Left Wing (Photo Courtesy of the FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.