19970209001469A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-22-150 · Madera, CA · February 9, 1997

Date: February 9, 1997 · 11:50 local
Place: Madera, CA
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N1900F
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX97LA100
Reported as: Piper PA22150
Reported engine: Lycoming O320A1A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 617 total334 in this make and model33 in the last 90 days

N1900FRegistration cancelled Jan 31, 2001 · Piper PA-22-150S/N 22-2651 Airframe modelPiper PA-22-150

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Collided with telephone wires applying pollen to orchard. No agricultural certificate.(.4) on February 9, 1997, at 1150 hours pacific standard time, a Piper PA-22-150, N1900F, collided with telephone wires near Madera, California. The airplane was destroyed and the certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated as a aerial application flight by the pilot/owner. According to the federal aviation administration, the pilot did not hold an agricultural aircraft operator certificate under 14 CFR part 137 when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The pilot indicated he was spraying pollen on an almond orchard. The pilot stated, "on entry of the twelvth [twelfth] pass from west to east I failed to clear [a] power line." The pilot also indicated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane prior to the collision.

As the FAA filed it

COLLIDED WITH TELEPHONE WIRES APPLYING POLLEN TO ORCHARD. NO AGRICULTURAL CERTIFICATE.(.4) ON FEBRUARY 9, 1997, AT 1150 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-22-150, N1900F, COLLIDED WITH TELEPHONE WIRES NEAR MADERA, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT BY THE PILOT/OWNER. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, THE PILOT DID NOT HOLD AN AGRICULTURAL AIRCRAFT OPERATOR CERTIFICATE UNDER 14 CFR PART 137 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE PILOT INDICATED HE WAS SPRAYING POLLEN ON AN ALMOND ORCHARD. THE PILOT STATED, "ON ENTRY OF THE TWELVTH [TWELFTH] PASS FROM WEST TO EAST I FAILED TO CLEAR [A] POWER LINE." THE PILOT ALSO INDICATED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THE COLLISION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX97LA100Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMadera, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from obstructions and his inadequate visual outlook.Feb 9, 1997 · Destroyed