Grumman G-164A accident near Riverton, Wyoming, June 3, 2012
On June 3, 2012 at about 12:00 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N5291, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Riverton, Wyoming (Hidden Valley 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
The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll and his deliberate application of excessive braking pressure, which resulted in a noseover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2012 · about 12:00 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Riverton, Wyoming · Hidden Valley Airport · 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
- N5291 · registry record · serial 572
- 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, who was flying a tailwheel-equipped agricultural aerial application airplane, was landing on a dirt airstrip in order to take on a load of application chemical. After he landed on the main gear and lowered the tailwheel to the surface, the airplane started to veer toward the side of the runway. The pilot was unable to keep the airplane from departing the side of the runway, and, because it was heading toward a big gully, he applied as much braking force as possible. As he applied the braking force, the airplane nosed over onto its back, which resulted in substantial damage to the upper wing and the vertical stabilizer. According to the pilot, there was no malfunction or anomaly associated with the airplane's directional control system or its braking system.
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 control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Not specified other cases naming the landing gear
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 330 hours in all; 23 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sky Aviation CORP
The flight
- Departed from: KRIW Riveerton WY at 11:30 am
- Destination: N/A Riverton WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,000 ft by 55 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 3, 2012. 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 | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5291 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Grumman G-164 119 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Grumman 443 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W R-985 SERIES 1,593 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Central Wyoming Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Wyoming 778 since 1982 · 108 in the last ten years
- Wyoming 3,231 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR12CA242.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.