Grumman-Schweizer G-164A N48651

Summary

On 28 February 2001 at about 23:15 local time, a Grumman-Schweizer G-164A registered N48651 was involved in an accident near Waitsburg, Washington, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 February 2001 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Waitsburg, Washington, United States

Coordinates

46.2083, -118.2750

Aircraft

Grumman-Schweizer G-164A

Registration

N48651

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Waitsburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA01LA055

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power lines during a pull-up, resulting in an in-flight collision with the lines, loss of control and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing factors were the power lines and the pilot's degraded visual detection due to the background terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was engaged in a pull-up maneuver while applying fertilizer over a field. Unmarked power lines crossed the north end of the field on an east/west line. The pilot lost sight of the lines against the upsloping background terrain and impacted all three lines. The upper wing was severed from the aircraft and the aircraft subsequently crashed out of control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.