Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G 164A accident near Alfalfa, Oregon, February 18, 2015
On February 18, 2015 at about 2:19 am local time, a 1972 Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G 164A, registered N4863, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Alfalfa, Oregon (Goering Ranches airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 total loss of engine power after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined, because examination of the engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 2015 · about 2:19 am local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Alfalfa, Oregon · Goering Ranches · 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 164A, built 1972 · all G 164As on the register
- Registration
- N4863 · registry record · serial 1016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot/owner, an airframe and powerplant mechanic with inspection authorization privileges, performed an annual inspection on the airplane in order to return it to service after it had been in storage for about 2 years. Ground engine run-up checks revealed no discrepancies, and he decided to perform a test flight. After takeoff, the engine sputtered and lost power, and the pilot returned to the airport for a precautionary landing. The airplane overran the runway, struck a tire, and came to rest inverted. A postaccident engine run revealed no mechanical discrepancies that would have precluded normal operation. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
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 (total) during emergency descent defining event
- Landing area overshoot during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,217 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 2012
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Prat and Whitney Aircraft R-1340-AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 50OR Alfalfa OR
- Destination: 50OR Alfalfa OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,500 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 am from BDN, 11 miles away
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 March 31, 2017. 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 | FAA Correspondence | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector Leonetti | 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
- N4863 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: Prat and Whitney Aircraft R-1340-AN-1 · as the NTSB recorded it
- Goering Ranches / Chocheta Estates Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,004 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR15LA106.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.