Grumman G-164B accident near Tracy, California, May 15, 2006
On May 15, 2006 at about 1:12 pm local time, a Grumman G-164B, registered N8981H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tracy, 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
loss of power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2006 · about 1:12 pm local time
- Place
- Tracy, California · 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
- N8981H · no longer on the register · serial 4B
- 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 engine lost partial power during takeoff and the airplane nosed over during a forced landing in a field. The pilot said that during the takeoff-initial climb, the engine experienced a partial loss of power and the airplane would not climb. The pilot made an attempt to jettison the pesticide load; however, the airplane impacted the ground before he could fully manipulate the dump controls and it came to rest inverted. A Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector examined the engine, propeller, and propeller governor following the accident and no mechanical anomalies were noted. Due to damage sustained in the accident, control continuity between the cockpit control and propeller governor could not be confirmed.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,750 hours in all; 825 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,152 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Tracy CA at 11:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from KSCK, 20 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 N8981H 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.