- Date
- June 1, 1995, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- E. Grand Forks, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6682KSchweizer G-164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950601019559A
- Case key
- 9895
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 with the wires.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane contacted wires during an aerial application swath run. The pilot stated he was aware of the location of the wires and that he misjudged the clearance. The pilot flew the airplane back to his private airstrip after striking the wires.
Factual narrative
On June 1, 1995, at 1600 central daylight time, a Schweitzer G- 164B, N6682K, operated by Jenson Air Spray, collided with wires during a swath run over a field in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, while on a 14 CFR Part 137 flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot was not injured. The flight originated from a private airstrip in Grand Forks, North Dakota, at 1530 cdt.
The pilot stated that he was aware of the wires which crossed through the field he was spraying. He stated during a telephone interview that he misjudged his clearance with the wires. The pilot flew the airplane back to his private airstrip without incident after striking the wires.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6682K
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 416B
- Airframe hours
- 4,000
- Engine
- P&W R1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Jenson Air Spray
- Registered owner
- John P. Jenson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 1995 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- Grand Forks, ND
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
- 63
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 21,000 total · 4,250 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GFK, 3 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.