- Date
- February 4, 1992, 16:10 local (Feb 5, 1992, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Greenfield, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8507HGrumman G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920204053029A
- Case key
- 27552
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 adequate altitude during an intentionally performed low altitude flight in mountainous terrain. Contributing factors related to the pilot's visual perception of the canyon area because of changes in the ambient lighting conditions and shadows.
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, who had logged 20,000 flight hours, was working for a film crew to locate picturesque areas for filming. During the accident flight the pilot, who was familiar with the area, flew at an intentionally low altitude in mountainous terrain. According to the pilot, while cruising he experienced changes in the ambient lighting conditions and hillside shadows, and he failed to negotiate a critical turn. He inadvertently turned into a box-like canyon, for which 'there was no escape,' and collided with upsloping terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8507H
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1384
- Airframe hours
- 1,886
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Brad Christian Films
- Registered owner
- Vince Crop Dusters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 4, 1991 · 48 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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 650 in this make and model · 19,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
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 N8507H · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.