- Date
- March 1, 1989, 12:51 local (20:51 UTC)
- Place
- Riverdale, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8547HGrumman G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 25, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890301002869A
- Case key
- 26153
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
Inadequate visual lookout by the pilot, when he diverted his attention. The power line was a related factor.
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
During an aerial application flight, the pilot had just completed a swath run over a field, when the airplane collided with power lines. He said that after making the swath run, he looked back over his shoulder to observe the flaggers. When he looked forward again, the airplane was about to strike the wires.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8547H
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1401
- Airframe hours
- 3,871
- Engine
- P&W R-985-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- D.R. Hughes D/B/A H. Ag Air
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 7, 1989 · 2 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 23,200 total · 7,000 in this make and model · 23,098 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.