Summary
On July 17, 2013, a Grumman Aircraft Cor-schweizer G-164A (N8719H) was involved in an accident near Elmira, MI. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a line of trees while applying agricultural product to a field.
On July 17, 2013, about 1625 eastern daylight time, a Grumman Aircraft Cor-Scweizer G-164A, N8719H, impacted trees and terrain during an aerial application of an agricultural field. The airplane was consumed by a post impact fire and sustained substantial damage. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by SLF Air LLC under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight and was not operating on a flight plan. The local flight originated from Gaylord Regional Airport, Gaylord, Michigan, about 1555.
The airplane was loaded with about 200 gallons of chemical, of which about 100 gallons had been sprayed.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN13LA422. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N8719H.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a line of trees while applying agricultural product to a field.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On July 17, 2013, about 1625 eastern daylight time, a Grumman Aircraft Cor-Scweizer G-164A, N8719H, impacted trees and terrain during an aerial application of an agricultural field. The airplane was consumed by a post impact fire and sustained substantial damage. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by SLF Air LLC under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight and was not operating on a flight plan. The local flight originated from Gaylord Regional Airport, Gaylord, Michigan, about 1555.
The airplane was loaded with about 200 gallons of chemical, of which about 100 gallons had been sprayed. The pilot sprayed a field in an easterly direction and towards a tree line, which was about 60 feet in height, when the airplane impacted the trees. The wreckage path through the tree was about 150 feet. The airplane came to rest inverted and facing toward the west. A post impact fire burned an area of about 100 feet around the main wreckage. The propeller blades were "curved." On-scene examination of the airplane by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed no mechanical anomalies.
A National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report was not received from the pilot.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN13LA422