- Date
- May 25, 1996, 05:27 local (12:27 UTC)
- Place
- Colusa, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N48379Grumman G-164
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report December 10, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960525011499A
- Case key
- 29447
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 remain clear of the power lines. Factors relating to the accident were: Lack of visual cues at dawn, and the power lines.
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 spraying a field at dawn. Subsequently, the airplane collided with power lines and crashed. There were no witnesses, and the operator reported no mechanical problems.
Factual narrative
On May 25, 1996, about 0527 hours Pacific daylight time, a Grumman G-164 Ag-Cat, N48379, operated by World Agra-Air, Inc., was destroyed after colliding with power lines near Colusa, California. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 137 at the time of the accident. The pilot received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the early morning flight which originated at Maxwell, California. There were no known witnesses to the accident. The operator reported no mechanical problems.
A postaccident autopsy was performed by the Colusa County Medical Examiner. During that procedure samples were obtained for analysis by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. On August 7, 1996, a telephone call was placed to CAMI for the results of the analysis. All tests had been performed except the urine screen. The tests for drugs, ethanol, and carbon monoxide were negative.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48379
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1621
- Airframe hours
- 6,479
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- World Agra-Air Inc.
- Registered owner
- World Agra-Air Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 18, 1996 · 279 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Gunnersfield, 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,800 total · 8,800 as pilot in command · 375 in the last 90 days · 280 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 320° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 80 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MYV, 38 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.