Schweizer G 164B N3627R

Summary

On 1 August 2014 at about 16:00 local time, a Schweizer G 164B registered N3627R, operated by MacYs Flying Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Tulelake, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 August 2014 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Tulelake, California, United States

Nearest airport

Tulelake Muni (O81)

Coordinates

41.9536, -121.5594

Aircraft

Schweizer G 164B

Registration

N3627R

Category

Airplane

Year built

1983

Engines

1

Operator

MacYs Flying Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tulelake → Tulelake

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14LA322

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines while maneuvering during low-altitude operations.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was applying the last load of insecticide to a field in the agricultural biplane when the top wing struck power lines as the biplane passed underneath it. The operator reported that the pilot had applied insecticide to the same field many times. Further, he had flown under the power lines many times without incident. There were no witnesses to the accident; a spotter who had been assigned to the pilot was transitioning to another location at the time. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and the propeller's damage signatures indicated that the engine was operating at the time of impact. At the time of the accident, the sun would have been positioned just off the airplane's right wing; therefore, it is unlikely that the sun hindered the pilot's view. The airplane struck thinner lines that were about 10 ft below 40-ft-high thicker lines; therefore, it is possible that the pilot was focused on the upper lines and did not see the lower ones.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.