# Accident 20000313009479A: Piper PA18150, Rio Vista, CA, March 13, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 13, 2000, 14:10 local time
- Place: Rio Vista, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.1791° N, 121.7304° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.1791&lon=-121.7304&mi=10
- Aircraft: N82751, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N82751) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-18-150 (registry code 7101828, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA18150
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 7,044 total, 7,016 in this make and model, 75 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00TA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00TA125) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000313009479A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) OM MARCH 13, 2000, MR ANDY WILLIAMS WAS A PIC FOR PIPER 18-150, N82751, WHICH COLLIDED WITH WIRES NEAR RIO VISTA, CA. MR. WILLIAMS WAS OPERATING THE A/C FOR PUBLIC USE AS WILDLIFE FLIGHT THAT OWNED BY UNITED STATES DEPT OF AGRICULTURE. MR. WILLIAMS STATED THAT THE FLARING SUN HAD TEMPORARILY BLINDED HIM WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO MANUEVER THE A/C AND MADE CONTACT WITH THEM. ALSO STATED THAT WIRE EVIDENTLY CAUGHT THE RIGHT GEAR LEG AND STRETCHED THE WIRES UNTIL THEY SNAPPED AND A/C FELL APPROX. 120 FEET TO THE GROUND, ON THE RIGHTSIDE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND HIS OBSERVED MINOR INJURIES. THEY WERE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO A/C. (.4) ON MARCH 13, 2000, ABOUT 1410 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-18-150, N82751, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH WIRES NEAR RIO VISTA, CALIFORNIA. THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OWNED AND OPERATED THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND HIS OBSERVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE PUBLIC-USE PEST CONTROL FLIGHT DEPARTED RIO VISTA FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT ABOUT 1330. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A COMPANY                           FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD BEEN MANEUVERING LOW LEVEL IN AN AREA OF WIND GENERATORS AND POWER LINES FOR 30 MINUTES. HIS GROUND CREW INSTRUCTED HIM TO WORK A NEW AREA SOUTHWEST OF HIS CURRENT LOCATION. HE STARTED A SLOW RIGHT CLIMBING TURN IN THAT DIRECTION, WHICH WAS TO THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE. THE SUN WAS BEHIND A CLOUD AND HE COULD SEE POWER LINES AND WIND GENERATORS IN HIS NEW WORK AREA. MOMENTS LATER THE SUN CAME FROM BEHIND THE CLOUD AND TEMPORARILY BLINDED HIM. AT THAT INSTANT HIS REAR SEAT OBSERVER TOLD HIM TO "LOOK OUT." HE WAS FLYING UP A DRAW AND NOTED WIRES ANGLING ACROSS HIS FLIGHT PATH. HE MANEUVERED TO AVOID THEM, BUT CONTACTED THE LAST WIRE WITH HIS RIGHT MAIN GEAR. WHEN THE WIRE SNAPPED, THE AIRPLANE FELL TO THE GROUND ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT HAD THE OBSERVER REACH TO THE PANEL OVER THE PILOT'S HEAD AND TURN THE MASTER SWITCH AND GENERATOR SWITCHES TO THE OFF POSITION. THE OBSERVER ASSISTED THE PILOT FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT SUFFERED A BROKEN RIGHT COLLARBONE, NECK AND BACK INJURIES, AND LACERATIONS ON BOTH LEGS. THEY CONTACTED RESCUE PERSONNEL WITH THEIR CELL PHONE. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE OPERATOR INITIATED A REVIEW OF ITS PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM. REVISIONS TO BE EXPLORED INCLUDE REQUIRING A HIGH ALTITUDE RECONNAISSANCE OF WORK AREAS WITH NUMEROUS OBSTACLES, AND ESTABLISHING A ROUTE OF FLIGHT PRIOR TO ENTERING THOSE AREAS.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX00TA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00TA125), Mar 13, 2000: Piper PA-18-150 (N82751), Rio Vista, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from power lines while maneuvering at a low altitude. A factor was glare from the sun.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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