Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G 164B N48519

Summary

On 23 July 2017 at about 13:15 local time, a Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G 164B registered N48519, operated by Buntings Dusting Inc, was involved in an accident near Berlin, Maryland, United States. 2 people were on board. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 July 2017 at 13:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Berlin, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Bunting's Field (4MD1)

Coordinates

38.3672, -75.2311

Aircraft

Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G 164B

Registration

N48519

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Buntings Dusting Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Berlin → Berlin

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA443

Injuries not recorded.

The ground crewman’s failure to visually check the runway before crossing it in a vehicle, which resulted in he and the vehicle being struck by the landing airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he noticed that a spray nozzle was leaking on the agricultural spray airplane. Subsequently, he performed multiple test flights over a nearby field while the head of the ground crew remained on the ground to monitor the leak. He added that he landed the airplane on the grass airstrip, adjusted the nozzle, departed for another visual check, and repeated as necessary. Following the tests and adjustments, the ground crewman told the pilot that the nozzle was not leaking, and the pilot returned to land. The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, he did not see the ground crewman visually check the runway before crossing the runway in front of the airplane in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). He added that he immediately veered the airplane to the right and sped up to avoid striking the ground crewman with the propeller. However, the left wing struck the ATV and the ground crewman. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing leading edge, and the ground crewman sustained minor injuries. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.