Summary
On July 22, 1998, a Grumman G-164A (N7442) was involved in an accident near Tracy, CA. The accident resulted in 1 fatal injury. The aircraft was destroyed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The failure of the pilot to maintain an adequate clearance with the telephone wires.
On July 22, 1998, at 1030 hours Pacific daylight time, a Grumman G-164A, N7442, impacted a series of telephone wires near Tracy, California, while applying chemicals to a field. The aircraft was destroyed in the subsequent ground impact sequence and postcrash fire. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The aircraft was being operated as a 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector from the Oakland Flight Standards District Office examined the aircraft at the accident site and reported that he established flight control continuity. He further reported that the pilot was executing his final run, dusting the last corner of the field.
This accident is documented in NTSB report LAX98LA240. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7442.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The failure of the pilot to maintain an adequate clearance with the telephone wires.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On July 22, 1998, at 1030 hours Pacific daylight time, a Grumman G-164A, N7442, impacted a series of telephone wires near Tracy, California, while applying chemicals to a field. The aircraft was destroyed in the subsequent ground impact sequence and postcrash fire. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The aircraft was being operated as a 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector from the Oakland Flight Standards District Office examined the aircraft at the accident site and reported that he established flight control continuity. He further reported that the pilot was executing his final run, dusting the last corner of the field. The aircraft proceeded straight and level, flying in a westerly direction, under the power lines. The upper left wing struck the telephone line which was strung under the power lines. A ground witness reported that he heard a "snap" and saw the airplane tumbling to the ground. The aircraft came to rest in an adjacent field facing east, approximately 300 feet from where the wires were hit. The aircraft was engulfed in flames and was subsequently destroyed. Two leading edge pieces from the upper left wing were torn from the aircraft and found approximately 60 feet from the wire contact point.
In his written statement, the pilot's son, who is also the manager of the firm, reported that his father knew the telephone line was strung on the west side of the field, but stated that his father just forgot that the telephone line and cable were strung below the power lines.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX98LA240