Schweizer G164B accident near Moscow, Idaho, May 29, 1996
On May 29, 1996 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Schweizer G164B, registered N48559, was substantially damaged in an accident near Moscow, 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
inflight loss of an unsecured access plug from the engine crankcase, which resulted in a loss of engine oil and a forced landing. Factors relating to the accident were: hilly terrain, and foreign material (engine oil) on the windscreen which limited forward visibility.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 1996 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Moscow, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer G164B
- Registration
- N48559 · registry record · serial 73B
- 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 while conducting an agricultural aerial application flight, the windscreen suddenly became obscured by smoke and oil. Operating over hilly terrain with poor forward visibility through the windscreen, he attempted a forced landing on a ridge top. The airplane was substantially damaged in the forced landing. FAA inspectors who examined the airplane after the accident reported that they found an access plug missing from the front of the crankcase of the aircraft's Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial engine.
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
- Flight time: 11,650 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 310 in the last 90 days; 110 in the last 30 days; 11,510 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 6,075 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.