Grumman G164 N48416

Summary

On 18 August 2020 at about 14:30 local time, a Grumman G164 registered N48416 was involved in an accident near Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 August 2020 at 14:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States

Coordinates

41.8604, -103.6609

Aircraft

Grumman G164

Registration

N48416

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20CA347

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s loss of visual reference during agricultural low-level flight, resulting in collision with power lines.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was flying the agricultural airplane, low-level, applying fertilizer to a field, and running parallel to power lines that bordered the field. When he finished the center of the field, he flew several cleanup passes on some of the edges of the field. He thought that the power lines were to the south of his position and stated that they blended into the tree line. As he came down into the field for a pass, his top wing blocked his forward view, and when he leveled out, he could not avoid the power lines in front of him. The airplane collided with the power lines and impacted the field which was adjacent to a roadway. The airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to the wings, the fuselage, and empennage. As the power lines came down, they impacted a moving semi-truck, and pulled down adjacent power line poles. The pilot and the driver of the semi-truck sustained minor injuries. After the accident, the pilot stated that the accident could have been avoided if he had flown around the boarders to double check for obstacles.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.