# NTSB WPR18LA113: Schweizer G 164B, N3629E, Stockton, CA, March 27, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 27, 2018, 14:05 local (21:05 UTC) - Place: Stockton, CA - Coordinates: 37.847778, -121.516113 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.8478&lon=-121.5161&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of visual reference](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/402) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report April 20, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, Honeywell Aerospace - NTSB case key (mKey): 96940 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR18LA113 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96940/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96940 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18LA113 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with power lines while maneuvering during an aerial application flight. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Schweizer G-164B, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md?model=8059055), [All aircraft, 1,310 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md) - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring environment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Schweizer G-164B, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md?model=8059055), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: wire](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Awareness of condition; cases with it: [Schweizer G-164B, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032/cases.md?model=8059055), [All aircraft, 588 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of visual reference](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/402) (defining event); cases with it: [Schweizer G-164B, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/402/sequence.md?model=8059055), [All aircraft, 242 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/402/sequence.md) - [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Schweizer G-164B, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=8059055), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The commercial pilot was performing an aerial application flight and was making a pass under two sets of high tension wires in proximity to the support tower. The airplane clipped the second set of wires, which resulted in the pilot's loss of control and the airplane's impact with the ground in a nose-down attitude. No anomalies with the airplane or engine were reported that would have precluded normal operation. ## Factual narrative The airplane's most recent annual inspection was performed on March 13, 2013, at a total time of 16,689.7 hours, with 17.2 hours since that last inspection. The airplane was equipped with a Honeywell TPE-331-201A turboprop engine, rated at 715 horsepower, with a total time of 15,520 hours. The operator indicated that there were no mechanical issues with either the airplane or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. On March 27, 2018, about 1405 Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer Aircraft Corporation G-164B restricted category agricultural airplane, N3629E, was substantially damaged after colliding with high transmission power lines and a subsequent impact with terrain about 10 nautical miles southwest of Stockton, California. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by Haley Flying Service of Tracy, California, as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural application flight, and a flight plan was not filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, which had departed the operator's private airstrip about 30 minutes before the time of the accident. In a statement submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a company ground crewman who witnessed the accident reported that the field being sprayed had transmission towers angling across it to support transmission power lines. After the pilot finished spraying the field in a north to south orientation, the witness advised the pilot to spray the area on the west side of the transmission towers to ensure proper coverage. As the witness watched the spray being dispensed, he saw "a flash," looked up, and observed the airplane impact the ground. The witness indicated, in a statement to local law enforcement personnel, that, while the pilot was flying southbound below and under two sets of high transmission power lines, the airplane clipped the second set of lines, which caused it to impact the ground nose first. There was no postimpact fire. An autopsy was performed by the Office of the Sheriff-Coroner, County of San Joaquin, French Camp, California. The autopsy determined that the pilot's cause of death was blunt force trauma. Toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified doxylamine (an antihistamine) and dextrorphan (a cough suppressant) in the pilot's blood and urine specimens. No carbon monoxide was detected in the pilot's blood specimens, and no ethanol was detected in the pilot's vitreous specimens. Testing for cyanide was not performed. The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second-class medical certificate was issued on October 4, 2017, at which time he reported accumulating about 703 hours total flight experience and about 156 hours in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot completed his most recent flight review on April 16, 2016. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3629E](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3629E-2023-05-16), registration cancelled 2023-05-16, S/N 744B (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: SCHWEIZER AIRCRAFT CORP G 164B (B) - Registry model: [Schweizer G-164B](https://openairdocs.org/model/schweizer-g-164b) (registry code 8059055) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 744B - Year built: 1984 - Airframe hours: 16689.7 - Engines: Garrett TPE-331 715 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial application, Part 137 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, March 13, 2018, 17 hours before - Departed: NA, Tracy, CA - Destination: NA, Tracy, CA - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 29; injuries: fatal; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review April 16, 2016; seat: single; restraint: 3-point; toxicology performed; flight hours: 703 total, 156 in this make and model, 604 as pilot in command, 95 in the last 90 days, 41 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 320° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 39 °F - Altimeter: 30.20 inHg - Observed at: SCK, 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20180327007319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180327007319A), Mar 27, 2018: Schweizer Aircraft Corp G-164B, Stockton, CA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. On March 27, 2018 at approximately 1405 PDT N3629E was substantially damaged after colliding with high transmission power lines an subsequent impact with… ## Other investigations on N3629E (3) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB SEA03LA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03LA086), May 16, 2003: Grumman G-164B (N3629E), Basin City, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the torque sensor idler gear duplex bearing during agricultural aerial application, resulting in a total power loss and a forced landing. Factors include tall wheat and soft terrain. - [NTSB LAX00LA278](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA278), Jul 26, 2000: Schweizer G-164B (N3629E), Tracy, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. - [NTSB LAX94LA213](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX94LA213), May 8, 1994: Schweizer G-164B (N3629E), Gridley, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: a loss of engine power due to a cracked engine cylinder head. ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 8, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96940. 6.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 2.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40479710&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Witness Statements (item 2, .PDF, 598 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40479711&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statements-Master.PDF - Maps or Charts of Accident Area (item 3, .PDF, 2.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40479712&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maps%20or%20Charts%20of%20Accident%20Area-Master.PDF - Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 4, .PDF, 74 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40479713&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Master.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 5, .PDF, 281 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40479714&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.