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19970529015809A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Scwzer G-164 · Illinois City, IL · May 29, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 29, 1997 · 18:58 local
Place
Illinois City, IL
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
J8PG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N474Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI97LA150
Reported as
Scwzer G164
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney R985*
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,400 total580 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days
N474YRegistration cancelled Oct 28, 1998 · Grumman G-164S/N 119Airframe modelGrumman G-164

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.

(-23) While conducting agriculture spraying operations, subject aircraft struck top static wire of power transmission wires. The force of the wire strike inverted the aircraft. The pilot was able to right the aircraft before impact with the ground. The aircraft struck the terrain in a wings level, upright attitude and then flipped over. Pilot was trapped in aircraft due to structural collapse of the cockpit. Witnesses extricated the pilot using simple farm tools. (.4) the pilot was conducting an agricultural spraying operation when the airplane hit a static wire at the top of a power line. The pilot was flying parallel to the power line during the spraying operation. Witnesses reported that the pilot began a pull up and left turn, when the airplane's left wing tip struck the static wire. Aircraft and engine examinations did not reveal any discrepancy. The pilot said that he failed to keep the power line foremost in his mind, and that he was looking past the wires to the FAR end of the pasture that he was spraying and did not see the wire that the airplane hit.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE CONDUCTING AGRICULTURE SPRAYING OPERATIONS, SUBJECT AIRCRAFT STRUCK TOP STATIC WIRE OF POWER TRANSMISSION WIRES. THE FORCE OF THE WIRE STRIKE INVERTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO RIGHT THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TERRAIN IN A WINGS LEVEL, UPRIGHT ATTITUDE AND THEN FLIPPED OVER. PILOT WAS TRAPPED IN AIRCRAFT DUE TO STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE OF THE COCKPIT. WITNESSES EXTRICATED THE PILOT USING SIMPLE FARM TOOLS. (.4) THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AN AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING OPERATION WHEN THE AIRPLANE HIT A STATIC WIRE AT THE TOP OF A POWER LINE. THE PILOT WAS FLYING PARALLEL TO THE POWER LINE DURING THE SPRAYING OPERATION. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE PILOT BEGAN A PULL UP AND LEFT TURN, WHEN THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE STATIC WIRE. AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE EXAMINATIONS DID NOT REVEAL ANY DISCREPANCY. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE FAILED TO KEEP THE POWER LINE FOREMOST IN HIS MIND, AND THAT HE WAS LOOKING PAST THE WIRES TO THE FAR END OF THE PASTURE THAT HE WAS SPRAYING AND DID NOT SEE THE WIRE THAT THE AIRPLANE HIT.

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 CHI97LA150Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportIllinois City, ILfailure of the pilot to see and maintain clearance from a static wire. The proximity of the wire was a related factor.May 29, 1997 · Substantial damage