- Date
- August 30, 1997, 11:10 local (16:10 UTC)
- Place
- Muleshoe, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9807Grumman G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970830024969A
- Case key
- 20335
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
failure of the pilot to see the standpipe in time to avoid an accident (inadequate visual lookout), and his failure to maintain clearance with electrical wires, while maneuvering during an aerial application flight.
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 reported that during an aerial application flight, he had almost completed 'cleaning the edges of his field,' when the accident occurred. He reported that near the end of a swath run over this particular field, there was a bundle of four electrical wires, approximately 20-25 feet above ground level. He said that he normally flew over these wires, but on the afternoon of the accident, he elected to fly under them. As the pilot maneuvered to fly under the wires, he observed a standpipe on the opposite side of the wires. The pilot was forced to make a decision to hit either the wires or the standpipe; he elected to hit the wires. The aircraft initially contacted the wires with the left wing, knocking over a pole, which the electrical wires were connected to. The aircraft cartwheeled approximately three times and came to rest in a near inverted position.
Factual narrative
On August 30,1997, at approximately 1110 central daylight time, a Grumman G-164A airplane, N9807, registered to a private owner and operated by Russell Spraying Inc., was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground following impact with electrical wires while maneuvering near Muleshoe, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 137 agricultural flight, which originated from Muleshoe, Texas, at approximately 0900. No flight plan was filed for this flight.
The commercial pilot reported to the Safety Board, during a telephone interview, that he worked as a "cropduster" in Muleshoe, Texas. The pilot said that he had almost completed "cleaning the edges of his field," when the accident occurred. The pilot reported that near the end of his route on this particular field there is a bundle of four electrical wires, approximately 20 to 25 feet above ground level. He said that he normally flew over these wires, but on the afternoon of the accident he elected to fly under the wires.
As the pilot maneuvered to fly under the wires he observed a standpipe on the opposite side of the wires. The pilot was forced to make a decision, to hit either the wires or the standpipe; he elected to hit the wires. The pilot said that the aircraft initially contacted the wires with the left wing, knocking over a pole, which the electrical wires were connected to. Subsequently, the airplane cartwheeled approximately three times and came to rest in a near inverted position. According to the pilot, the airplane sustained structural damage to the left wing and the right main gear separated from the airplane.
The pilot reported weather conditions at the time of the accident as clear skies, visibility 20 statute miles and winds from the southwest at 4 to 5 knots.
The pilot had indicated that he accumulated a total of 15,000 hours, of which 2,000 were in the G-164A airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9807
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1267
- Airframe hours
- 7,000
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Kenneth Russell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 1996 · 400 hours before
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
- 52
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 14,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 245° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.