- Date
- August 5, 1995, 08:05 local (13:05 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Forks, ND
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7994Schweizer G-164A-450
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950805048079A
- Case key
- 9977
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 transmission wires. A factor in the accident was the sunglare.
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 pilot was in the process of spraying a field which had two sets of powerlines located on the east side of the field. While finishing his fourth pass over the field, the pilot reported he was attempting to go under one set of wires and over the other set. The airplane collided with the wires, yawed to the right, and impacted the ground. The pilot stated that he believes the low sun in the east caused him to have some visual problem and possibly misjudge the location of the powerlines.
Factual narrative
On August 5, 1995, at 0805 central daylight time (cdt), an Schweizer G-164A, N7994, was substantially damaged when it struck transmission wires while maneuvering during an aerial application. The pilot reported minor injuries. The local 14 CFR Part 137 flight departed a private airstrip in Grand Forks, North Dakota, at 0740 cdt in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file.
The pilot reported he was in the process of spraying a field which had powerlines located along the east perimeter of the field and another set of powerlines which ran from the northwest to the southeast over the field. While finishing his fourth pass over the field, the pilot stated "I was going under the powerline in the field and over the small one by the road. The sun was very low in the east causing some visual problem and maybe made me misjudge the location of the powerlines." The airplane struck the powerline, yawed to the right, and impacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7994
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164A-450
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 855
- Airframe hours
- 6,792
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- 4 Js Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 31, 1995 · 226 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
- Airport
- NONE · Jensen, runway 18, 2,400 × 75 ft, grass/turf
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 5,111 total · 1,037 in this make and model · 271 in the last 90 days · 160 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.