- Date
- June 7, 1982, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Williams, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N641UGrumman G-164
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820607023989A
- Case key
- 73050
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 applying a granular herbicide to a rice field with low voltage wires on the west border and high voltage lines located diagonally across the field. During a pass from west to east, he crossed over the low voltage wires and lowered the nose to fly under the high voltage lines. The pilot stated he was partially blinded by sunglare on his goggles and his line of sight was obstructed by the top wing. The plane struck a high voltage wire and crashed in the rice field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N641U
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 377
- Airframe hours
- 7,271
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Thayer Avia.
- Registered owner
- Thayer Avia.
- Departed
- Williams, CA
- Destination
- Williams, 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 2,775 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 2,725 as pilot in command · 390 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 172 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N641U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.