MADERA, CA, USA
N1900F
Piper PA-22-150
The pilot failed to clear a power line during his twelfth pass while spraying pollen over an almond orchard. The pilot indicated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane prior to the collision. The pilot did not hold an aerial application certificate under 14 CFR 137.
On February 9, 1997, at 1150 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-22-150, N1900F, collided with telephone wires near Madera, California. The airplane was destroyed and the certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated as a aerial application flight by the pilot/owner. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot did not hold an agricultural aircraft operator certificate under 14 CFR Part 137 when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The pilot indicated he was spraying pollen on an almond orchard. The pilot stated, "On entry of the twelvth [twelfth] pass from west to east I failed to clear [a] power line." The pilot also indicated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane prior to the collision.
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from obstructions and his inadequate visual outlook.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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