Grumman G-164 accident near Hamilton City, California, July 22, 2003
On July 22, 2003 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Grumman G-164, registered N477Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hamilton City, 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 adequate airspeed to avert stalling during a low altitude turn.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2003 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hamilton City, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164 · all G-164s on the register
- Registration
- N477Y · no longer on the register · serial 122
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a low altitude turning maneuver, the pilot stalled the airplane, and the airplane impacted the underlying rice field. At the time, the airplane was spraying with a full load of product for the agricultural application flight.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,200 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Hamilton City CA at 2:29 pm
- Destination: Hamilton City CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 1:57 pm from CIC, 10 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.
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.