Grumman G-164A accident near Fisher, Arkansas, June 12, 1990
On June 12, 1990 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N5257, was destroyed in an accident near Fisher, Arkansas (Brown Pvt 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
PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 1990 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fisher, Arkansas · Brown Pvt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164A · all G-164As on the register
- Registration
- N5257 · registry record · serial 541
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMMERICAL PILOT SAID THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, HE HEARD A LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY A CONTINUED BANGING AND RATTLING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN THE ACFT BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE, THE PLT DUMPED HIS LOAD, BUT THE ACFT CONTINUED ITS UNCONTROLLED DESCENT, HIT HARD IN A THREE POINT ATTITUDE, THEN FLIPPED INVERTED. SHORTLY AFTER THE PLT EGRESSED, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN BURNING AND WAS DESTROYED. DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE FIRE AND LACK OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION, NO DETERMINATION WAS MADE AS TO WHY THE ENGINE LOST POWER.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 6,392 hours in all; 2,109 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 110 in the last 30 days; 5,811 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Fisher AR at 7:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,300 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from JBR, 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.
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.