- Date
- March 8, 1992, 11:42 local (19:42 UTC)
- Place
- Dufur, OR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1763SAero Commander S-2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920308007469A
- Case key
- 41638
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 in command's misjudgment of clearance with the power lines. Factors contributing to the accident were: object (transmission wire) and safety system (not installed).
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 engaged in applying herbicide to a wheat field which was crossed by a double set of power lines. During a swath run and while flying eastbound, the aircraft's canopy and vertical stabilizer snagged the lowest set of wires which were approximately 25 feet above the ground. The aircraft was not equipped with an upper fuselage cable cutting safety mechanism.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1763S
- Reported as
- Aero Commander S-2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1419-R
- Airframe hours
- 4,933
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Richardson Airway, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Richardson Airway, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1992 · 25 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 6,000 in this make and model · 9,800 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DLS, 10 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.
Other investigations on N1763S · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.