Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B accident near Pullman, Washington, June 15, 2011
On June 15, 2011 at about 2:00 am local time, a Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B, registered N8376K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Pullman, Washington (Staley Airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines while maneuvering.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 2011 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Pullman, Washington · Staley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B · all G-164Bs on the register
- Registration
- N8376K · no longer on the register · serial 675B
- 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 stated that the purpose of the agricultural flight was to spray a swath of field bordered by power lines. After making a pass, the pilot's attention was focused on a pole and he struck nearby power lines, which wrapped around the propeller. The pilot noticed a sudden loss in power and thought he could make it back to the airport. The engine then lost total power and the pilot initiated a forced landing in a field, resulting in a hard landing. The engine detached from the airplane and both wings and the fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Response/compensation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 421 hours in all; 171 in this make and model; 159 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 267 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 10, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,617 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 4, 2011; 77 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R1340 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Staley Airstrip WA at 1:28 am
- Destination: Staley Airstrip WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 am from PUW, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N8376K 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.