20120521008449A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Grumman G-164D · Nicolaus, CA · May 21, 2012

Date: May 21, 2012 · 06:37 local
Place: Nicolaus, CA
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: NHQG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N8267K
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR12LA220
Reported as: Grumman G-164D
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 8,928 total1,379 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N8267KRegistration cancelled Jan 9, 2018 · Grumman G-164DS/N 21D · Built 1980 Airframe modelGrumman G-164D Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A seriesTurbo-prop

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.

On may 21, 2012 at 0637 PDT a 1980 Grumman G-164D turbo ag cat N8267K crashed into a rice field. The pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft departed from the airfield of farm air inc., a part 137 operator, at 0620 PDT loaded with 1000 lbs. Of zinc sulfate. This was the first job for the day. The pilot had completed the job and was in the process of returning to his home base. An eye witness reports seeing the aircraft pulling up almost vertical then a hard snap right turn was initiated by the pilot followed by a pull up. The aircraft was almost level with very little forward speed when it impacted in a flat attitude with the water filled rice field facing in a direction of approximately 120 degrees. The force of the impact collapsed the wings and dislodged the pilot seat from its attachment points. The seat drove an inverter box installed underneath it through the floor of the cockpit.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 21, 2012 AT 0637 PDT A 1980 GRUMMAN G-164D TURBO AG CAT N8267K CRASHED INTO A RICE FIELD. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM THE AIRFIELD OF FARM AIR INC., A PART 137 OPERATOR, AT 0620 PDT LOADED WITH 1000 LBS. OF ZINC SULFATE. THIS WAS THE FIRST JOB FOR THE DAY. THE PILOT HAD COMPLETED THE JOB AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF RETURNING TO HIS HOME BASE. AN EYE WITNESS REPORTS SEEING THE AIRCRAFT PULLING UP ALMOST VERTICAL THEN A HARD SNAP RIGHT TURN WAS INITIATED BY THE PILOT FOLLOWED BY A PULL UP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALMOST LEVEL WITH VERY LITTLE FORWARD SPEED WHEN IT IMPACTED IN A FLAT ATTITUDE WITH THE WATER FILLED RICE FIELD FACING IN A DIRECTION OF APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT COLLAPSED THE WINGS AND DISLODGED THE PILOT SEAT FROM ITS ATTACHMENT POINTS. THE SEAT DROVE AN INVERTER BOX INSTALLED UNDERNEATH IT THROUGH THE FLOOR OF THE COCKPIT.

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 WPR12LA220Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportNicolaus, CAThe pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during a low-altitude maneuver.May 21, 2012 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8267K · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19860330021649ILow Level Operations · Mowata, LAMidway through a spray turn felt a vibration and saw oil on windshield. Returned and found propeller bolts broken.Mar 30, 1986 · Reported as Grumav STCG164 · Minor damage