- Date
- July 10, 2008, 05:28 local (12:28 UTC)
- Place
- Patterson, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6792QGrumman Acft Eng G-164B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080710839869A
- Case key
- 68416
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 obstacles while maneuvering.
Findings · 3
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
Near dawn, the pilot took off to perform an aerial application flight. While maneuvering over the designated field, the airplane collided with a pole. Thereafter, the pilot lost control of the airplane and crashed into the underlying field. The airplane was partially consumed by a post impact fire, and the pilot sustained a minor injury. The operator reported that during the flight the pilot had not experienced any mechanical malfunction with the airplane.
Factual narrative
Near dawn, the pilot took off to perform an aerial application flight. While maneuvering over the designated field, the airplane collided with a pole. Thereafter, the pilot lost control of the airplane and crashed into the underlying field. The airplane was partially consumed by a post impact fire, and the pilot sustained a minor injury. The pilot and the operator reported that during the 10-minute-long flight no mechanical malfunction was experienced.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6792Q
- Reported as
- Grumman Acft Eng G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 303B
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-1340, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Valley Crop Dusters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- CA67 · Patterson, CA
- Destination
- CA67 · Patterson, CA
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
- 45
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 10,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.