FTW95LA197

During aerial application the commercial pilot attempted to reverse direction to perform another application pass. He reported that his left wing dropped and the airplane descended to ground impact. The field was a wet muddy rice paddy.

On May 12, 1995, at 0930 central daylight time, a Grumman G-164A, N8509H, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while maneuvering near Abbeville, Louisiana. The commercial pilot was not injured. The aircraft was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 137. The flight originated from Abbeville Municipal Airport near Abbeville, Louisiana, at 0925. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local aerial application flight.

During a personal interview, conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot reported that this was his first season as an aerial application pilot. He was on his fourth or fifth pass and "entered the field heading west." The pilot reported that he made a right turn (north) for his turn around maneuver. According to the Pilot/Operator report, the pilot said that the winds were 15 knots from the south. The pilot further states "as I was completing my turn and then the plane took a hard drop to the left, and never recovered." The airplane impacted in a wet, muddy rice field. The airplane subsequently nosed over coming to rest in the inverted position.