Grumman G164 accident near Juliaetta, Idaho, March 12, 2016
On March 12, 2016 at about 1:25 am local time, a 1977 Grumman G164, registered N6894Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Juliaetta, Idaho. 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 a crack in the No. 2 cylinder.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2016 · about 1:25 am local time
- Place
- Juliaetta, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G164 A, built 1977 · all G164s on the register
- Registration
- N6894Q · no longer on the register · serial 1730
- 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 commercial pilot was conducting an agricultural application flight. The pilot reported that, while maneuvering the airplane about 300 ft above ground level, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot conducted an emergency landing to a field, during which the airplane landed hard and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 2 cylinder head exhibited a circumferential crack of its barrel between the cooling fins. The Federal Aviation Administration had previously issued an airworthiness directive (AD) to address cylinder head cracking on the accident model engine. The AD required periodic visual inspections for cracks in the cylinder heads at specified intervals of time in service (every 100 hours for the accident airplane). According to the engine maintenance logbooks, the AD was last complied with about 35 hours before the accident. The previous inspections to this were sporadic, indicating that neither maintenance personnel nor the owner(s) were regularly complying with the AD.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 347 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 286 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 22, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,402 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 11, 2015; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,225 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney R985-AN13B (piston); 12,150 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NA Juliaetta ID at 1:20 am
- Destination: NA Juliaetta ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.60 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from LWS
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.
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.