Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot misjudged the airplane's clearance from wires he was flying beneath. A contributing factor was the presence of light turbulence.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On May 30, 1996, at 1430 hours Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer G-164B, N3626D, operated by AVAG, Inc., collided with a power line while performing a rice seeding operation during an aerial application flight. The airplane came to rest upside down in a field near Corning, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot was seriously injured. The flight originated from a private airstrip about 1.5 miles west of the field about 1415.
According to the pilot, he began the seeding operation over the east side of the field and worked his way toward the west. During his last pass, he made a left descending turn to fly beneath wires. In the pilot's completed accident report, he indicated light turbulence raised the airplane's right wing and it contacted a wire.
The local wind was from the north, between 2 and 5 knots. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX96LA214