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19980803019419A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Scwzer G164A · Nelson, CA · August 3, 1998

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Date
August 3, 1998 · 10:30 local
Place
Nelson, CA
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
NHWG
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N83888
Reported as
Scwzer G164A
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A20
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,062 total1,700 in this make and model600 in the last 90 days

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.

Acft crashed during aerial application. (.4) on August 3, 1998, at 1030 hours pacific daylight time, a Grumman G-164A, N8388, collided with a rice paddy while applying chemicals near Nelson, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by williams ag service of biggs, California, and was on a local area aerial application flight under 14 CFR part 137 of the federal aviation regulations. The aircraft was destroyed in the ground collision sequence. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the biggs airport on the day of the accident at 1000. In the pilot's written statement to the safety board, he reported that he had to fly over wires to enter the field. On his first pass over the rice field, he allowed the aircraft to get too low and was unable to pull out. The main landing gear wheels touched the water and crops, and the aircraft crashed into the rice field. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident. (-23) pilot was performing agricultural operations over a rice field, looked inside the cockpit to check the instruments, then started the pullup late. Aircraft impacted the ground. Aircraft was demolished and the pilot sustained a broken arm.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT CRASHED DURING AERIAL APPLICATION. (.4) ON AUGUST 3, 1998, AT 1030 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A GRUMMAN G-164A, N8388, COLLIDED WITH A RICE PADDY WHILE APPLYING CHEMICALS NEAR NELSON, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY WILLIAMS AG SERVICE OF BIGGS, CALIFORNIA, AND WAS ON A LOCAL AREA AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 137 OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED IN THE GROUND COLLISION SEQUENCE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE BIGGS AIRPORT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AT 1000. IN THE PILOT'S WRITTEN STATEMENT TO THE SAFETY BOARD, HE REPORTED THAT HE HAD TO FLY OVER WIRES TO ENTER THE FIELD. ON HIS FIRST PASS OVER THE RICE FIELD, HE ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO GET TOO LOW AND WAS UNABLE TO PULL OUT. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEELS TOUCHED THE WATER AND CROPS, AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE RICE FIELD. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. (-23) PILOT WAS PERFORMING AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS OVER A RICE FIELD, LOOKED INSIDE THE COCKPIT TO CHECK THE INSTRUMENTS, THEN STARTED THE PULLUP LATE. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND. AIRCRAFT WAS DEMOLISHED AND THE PILOT SUSTAINED A BROKEN ARM.