- Date
- April 14, 1993, 15:24 local (22:24 UTC)
- Place
- Steptoe, WA
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 1 minor
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- USNGrumman A6EN8630HGrumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19930414017212A
- Case key
- 42938
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 inherent limitations of the see-and-avoid concept of separation of aircraft operating under visual flight rules that precluded the crew of the A6E and the pilot of the agcat from recognizing a collision hazard and taking actions to avoid a midair collision.
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 A6E was tracking 033 deg level at 200 ft AGL at 468 KTS VFR in published route VR-1354. The agcat was tracking 334 deg level at 200 ft AGL at 96 KTS VFR across the route to his destination spray field. The two aircraft converged on a 59 deg collision angle with a closure speed of 429 KTS. The A6E notified fss that he was entering the route late and projected exiting 8 minutes after the published closure of the route. The agcat pilot reported he was unaware of any information/publications regarding the operation of military aircraft in the area. The local fss was in the habit of reporting the route 'hot' 24 hrs a day rather than the precise schedule. The convergence angle of the A6E was 111 deg (8 o'clock position & behind the agcat's left wing). The convergence angle of the agcat was 10 deg. At the projected closure speed the agcat would have subtended an angle of 0.2 deg 8.6 secs before impact; the A6E 19.2 secs.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- USN
- Reported as
- Grumman A6E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 155665
- Airframe hours
- 4,784
- Engine
- P&W J52P-8B, 8,700 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Armed forces
- Operator
- United States Navy
- Registered owner
- United States Navy
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 28, 1992 · 131 hours before
- Departed
- NUW · Nas Whidbey Is, WA
- Destination
- NUW
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Registration
- N8630H
- Reported as
- Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1439
- Airframe hours
- 5,014
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Fender, Darrell
- Registered owner
- Fender, Darrell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 4, 1993 · 94 hours before
- Departed
- 0WA0 · Colfax, WA
- Destination
- 0WA0
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 1
- Age
- 31
- Certificates
- Commercial, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,814 total · 201 in this make and model · 93 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N8630H
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,231 total · 1,460 in this make and model · 2,200 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PUW, 18 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.