19990706008379A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Scwzer G-164B · Iowa, LA · July 6, 1999

Date: July 6, 1999 · 07:22 local
Place: Iowa, LA
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: KGRG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6703Q
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW99LA182
Reported as: Scwzer G164B
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340AN1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,450 total925 in this make and model

N6703QRegistration cancelled Jun 28, 2006 · Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164BS/N 217B · Built 1977 Airframe modelGrumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164B Engine modelPratt & Whitney R-985 seriesReciprocating

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 into a rice field during aerial application, other circumstances are unknown. (From .4) during an aerial application flight, the main landing gear of the agricultural airplane contacted a rice field, and the wheels bogged down in the field. The airplane nosed over and came to rest in the inverted position. The commercial pilot was spraying the field on an east-west direction. The operator stated that the field being sprayed was bordered on the south by a highway that, due to a construction detour, was heavily traveled by trucks. The wind on the morning of the accident was from the northeast. He added that the pilot was trying to avoid over spraying the vehicles on the highway, and his attention was momentarily diverted from keeping his clearance from the field being sprayed. The 1,450-hour pilot had accumulated 925 flight hours in the accident airplane. The pilot had flown 277 hours in the preceding 90 days, with 141 hours within the last 30 days.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT CRASHED INTO A RICE FIELD DURING AERIAL APPLICATION, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (FROM .4) DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, THE MAIN LANDING GEAR OF THE AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE CONTACTED A RICE FIELD, AND THE WHEELS BOGGED DOWN IN THE FIELD. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST IN THE INVERTED POSITION. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS SPRAYING THE FIELD ON AN EAST-WEST DIRECTION. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT THE FIELD BEING SPRAYED WAS BORDERED ON THE SOUTH BY A HIGHWAY THAT, DUE TO A CONSTRUCTION DETOUR, WAS HEAVILY TRAVELED BY TRUCKS. THE WIND ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT WAS FROM THE NORTHEAST. HE ADDED THAT THE PILOT WAS TRYING TO AVOID OVER SPRAYING THE VEHICLES ON THE HIGHWAY, AND HIS ATTENTION WAS MOMENTARILY DIVERTED FROM KEEPING HIS CLEARANCE FROM THE FIELD BEING SPRAYED. THE 1,450-HOUR PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED 925 FLIGHT HOURS IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. THE PILOT HAD FLOWN 277 HOURS IN THE PRECEDING 90 DAYS, WITH 141 HOURS WITHIN THE LAST 30 DAYS.

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 FTW99LA182Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportIowa, LAThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the crops being sprayed. A factor was the pilot's diverted attention.Jul 6, 1999 · Substantial damage