Schweizer Aircraft Corp. G-164B accident near Wendell, Idaho, July 7, 2004
On July 7, 2004 at about 5:10 pm local time, a Schweizer Aircraft Corp. G-164B, registered N7502Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wendell, Idaho. 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
A cracked cylinder head which resulted in a loss of engine power while maneuvering. High vegetation was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2004 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Wendell, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer Aircraft Corp. G-164B
- Registration
- N7502Y · registry record · serial 821B
- 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 he had completed fertilizing one field and was proceeding to a second field at about 300 feet above ground level when the engine started running rough. The pilot increased mixture to full rich and checked the magnetos, however, the engine lost all power. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft to a corn field. During the landing roll, the aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted. During an inspection of the engine, one of the cylinders displayed a crack around the cylinder head.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,965 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 219 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 15,965 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 28, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,184 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 3, 2004; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,113 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Jerome ID at 4:15 pm
- Destination: TWF Twin Falls ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from TWF, 17 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 N7502Y 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.