Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B accident near Colfax, Washington, February 18, 2010
On February 18, 2010 at about 4:38 pm local time, a Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B, registered N6774Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Colfax, Washington (Port of Whitman 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
A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor ice as a result of the pilot's failure to use carburetor heat.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 2010 · about 4:38 pm local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Colfax, Washington · Port of Whitman · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B · all G-164Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6774Q · registry record · serial 284B
- 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 was departing for the first aerial application flight of the day and the airplane was loaded with fertilizer. The pilot did not apply carburetor heat during the ground idle or taxi. He stated that during the takeoff roll, the engine did not produce normal power. He attempted to dump the fertilizer before the airplane collided with terrain in a nearby field. Post accident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies. Review of the carburetor icing probability chart revealed that the temperature and dew point, 8 and -1 degrees Celsius respectively, were conducive to serious icing conditions at glide 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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Not used/operated other cases naming the engine
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,694 hours in all; 1,623 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: December 12, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,830 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 26, 2009; 106 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt and Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tlc Flying INC
The flight
- Departed from: S94 Colfax WA at 4:46 pm
- Destination: S94 Colfax WA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 25, 3,209 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PUW, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 10, 2010. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N6774Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6774Q on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164 325 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer 325 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt and Whitney R-1340 1,229 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Port Of Whitman Business Air Center Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,713 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,663 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N6774Q 3 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR10LA139.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.