Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164 accident near Maxwell, California, May 26, 2017
On May 26, 2017 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 1978 Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164, registered N6674K, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Maxwell, California. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to visually check the fuel quantity during the preflight inspection and ensure that sufficient fuel was onboard for the flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2017 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Maxwell, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164 C, built 1978 · all G-164s on the register
- Registration
- N6674K · registry record · serial 16C
- 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, a few minutes after takeoff for an agricultural application flight, while maneuvering to a field he intended to spray, the engine lost power and that he then attempted to land on a dirt road. He added that the airplane bounced on touchdown and "went off the road and struck a ditch." He further added that when the engine lost power, the fuel gauge indicated about half full. Postaccident, the pilot reported that the fuel gauge was "stuck in the middle," that he did not visually check the fuel quantity before flight, and that he had exhausted the fuel supply. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge stated, in part: Fuel Gauges The fuel quantity gauges indicate the amount of fuel measured by a sensing unit in each fuel tank and is displayed in gallons or pounds. Aircraft certification rules require accuracy in fuel gauges only when they read "empty." Any reading other than "empty" should be verified. Do not depend solely on the accuracy of the fuel quantity gauges. Always visually check the fuel level in each tank during the preflight inspection, and then compare it with the corresponding fuel quantity indication.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Inadequate inspection
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel indication system › Malfunction
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,170.7 hours in all; 3,485 in this make and model; 205 in the last 90 days; 205 in the last 30 days; 7,116.5 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 29, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,113.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 9,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Honeywell (Garrett) TPE-331-6-5AM (turboprop); 15,257 hours total
- Operator: Richter Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: Develan CA at 8:10 pm
- Destination: Develan CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on July 13, 2017. 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 | Record of Conversation (Pilot in Command) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation (Operator President) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Phak Fuel Gauges | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N6674K 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.