- Date
- September 21, 2010, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Blessing, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8157KGulfstream-Schweizer A/C Gulfstream AM G-164B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100921051419A
- Case key
- 77369
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from wires while maneuvering.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was conducting an aerial application flight over a cotton field. While applying the load, the pilot lost awareness of his proximity to obstacles and the airplane collided with a transmission wire. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical fin and rudder, and the pilot subsequently lost control of the airplane. The airplane then impacted a small body of water.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot was flying an aerial application flight to a cotton field. While applying the applicant, the pilot lost awareness of his proximity to obstacles and collided with a transmission wire. The wire damaged the airplane's vertical fin and rudder, and the pilot subsequently lost control of the airplane. The airplane then impacted a small body of water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8157K
- Reported as
- Gulfstream-Schweizer A/C Gulfstream AM G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 591B
- Airframe hours
- 8,357
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-34, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Fehmel Planes Inc, doing business as Fehmel Planes Inc
- Registered owner
- Fehmel Planes Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2010
- Departed
- T84 · Bay City, TX
- Destination
- T84 · Bay City, TX
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 31, 2010
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total · 25,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 25, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 597 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8157K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.