On November 24, 1986, a Schweizer G-164A (registration N8741H) operated by Kenny's Crop Dusting, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Fresno, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The collision with telephone lines during aerial application operations. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft conducting aerial application operations collided with telephone lines in a familiar area after the pilot surveyed the field prior to spraying.
What happened
The airplane was involved in an accident while performing aerial application duties. During the operation, the aircraft struck telephone lines. The pilot stated that he had previous experience and familiarity with the specific geographic area where the incident occurred. Prior to initiating the spraying activities, the pilot conducted an in-flight survey of the target field.
The investigation
An examination of the event revealed no evidence of mechanical issues prior to the collision. The pilot did not report any preexisting malfunctions or failures with the airplane. Furthermore, the subsequent investigation was unable to determine that any such mechanical problems existed before the impact occurred.
Probable cause
The collision with telephone lines during aerial application operations.