CORNING, CA, USA
N3626D
Schweizer G-164B
The pilot was seeding a field and began over the east side working his way toward the west. During his last pass, he made a left descending turn to fly beneath wires. The pilot suspected that turbulence raised the airplane's right wing and it collided with a wire. The airplane crashed into the field and came to rest upside down. The wind was from the north, between 2 and 5 knots.
On May 30, 1996, at 1430 hours Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer G-164B, N3626D, operated by AVAG, Inc., collided with a power line while performing a rice seeding operation during an aerial application flight. The airplane came to rest upside down in a field near Corning, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot was seriously injured. The flight originated from a private airstrip about 1.5 miles west of the field about 1415. According to the pilot, he began the seeding operation over the east side of the field and worked his way toward the west. During his last pass, he made a left descending turn to fly beneath wires. In the pilot's completed accident report, he indicated light turbulence raised the airplane's right wing and it contacted a wire. The local wind was from the north, between 2 and 5 knots. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported.
the pilot misjudged the airplane's clearance from wires he was flying beneath. A contributing factor was the presence of light turbulence.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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