- Date
- March 3, 2023, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Vernalis, CA · 2454 Orchard Rd, Vernalis CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N48492Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Oakland FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230303003019A
- Case key
- 106836
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 clearance from a power line during a low-level aerial application flight.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported he was spraying near power lines during an aerial application flight. He made several passes beneath a power line; however, during a subsequent pass, the pilot became distracted and struck the power line. The airplane impacted the ground and was destroyed by post-crash fire. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48492
- Reported as
- Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 47B
- Built
- 1976
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney 1340/an-1, 600 hp, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- D C Applicator
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- CA67 · Vernalis, CA
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 60
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 22, 2021
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total · 16,000 in this make and model · 15,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KMOD, 13 nm away
- METAR
- KMOD 032053Z 27009KT 10SM CLR 13/04 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP161 T01330044 58026
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 23, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.