Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G 164A accident near Maxwell, California, May 13, 2015
On May 13, 2015 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1975 Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G 164A, registered N8875H, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Maxwell, California. 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 improper preflight inspection and fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 2015 · about 4:30 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Maxwell, California · 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 1975 · all G 164As on the register
- Registration
- N8875H · registry record · serial 1556
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Just after takeoff on the agricultural application flight, the commercial pilot was positioning the airplane to spray a rice field. About 200 ft above ground level, the pilot heard a loud pop, and the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot turned the airplane to land on a dirt road, but it was too narrow; the right main landing gear contacted mud on the side of the road, and the airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted. Recovery personnel reported no residual fuel on the ground around the accident site, and about one half gallon of fuel was recovered from the airplane. The pilot stated that the airplane had not been refueled on the day of the accident and that he departed on the flight with less than a half tank of fuel. The postaccident engine examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The loss of engine power was likely due to fuel exhaustion, and given that the loss of power occurred just after takeoff, it is likely that the pilot did not verify the amount of fuel onboard before departing on the flight.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 15,744 hours in all; 13,820 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,031.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 29, 2015; 37 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt and Whitney R1340-AN1 (piston); 10,641 hours total
- Operator: Richter Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Maxwell CA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: PVT Maxwell CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from OVE, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on October 30, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Operator) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Pilot) | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Report from FAA Including Witness Interviews | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Colusa County Sheriff's Department Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Aircraft Records | PDF, 3 pages | 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 N8875H 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
- N8875H 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 R1340-AN1 64 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,112 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N8875H 1 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/WPR15LA160.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.