Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G 164 accident near Madison, Kansas, April 25, 2016
On April 25, 2016 at about 5:45 pm local time, a 1975 Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G 164, registered N8872H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Madison, Kansas (Godfrey 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 incorrect brake application during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 2016 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Madison, Kansas · Godfrey · 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 164 A, built 1975 · all G 164s on the register
- Registration
- N8872H · no longer on the register · serial 1555
- 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 of a tailwheel-equipped bi-plane reported that he was performing a short field landing on a rough grass runway. The pilot further reported that he applied the brakes immediately after touchdown, and then felt the main landing gear "grab" and the tail begin to rise. Subsequently, the bi-plane nosed over on the runway. The pilot reported that he "should not have applied the brakes so soon" after touchdown. The vertical stabilizer sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the bi-plane 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Braking capability › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 800.2 hours in all; 394 in this make and model; 52.7 in the last 90 days; 46.5 in the last 30 days; 752 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 13, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,265 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 23, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985-14B (piston); 8,265 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FSK Fort Scott KS at 5:00 pm
- Destination: SN91 Madison KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 2,300 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,200 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KEMP, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 19, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of 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.