On February 15, 1987, a Piper PA-25-235 (registration N7162Z) operated by William A. Charter was involved in an aviation accident near Williams, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles during aerial application, resulting in wing entanglement and subsequent loss of control. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During an aerial application flight, the pilot's right wing became entangled in canal weeds, causing a loss of control and a nose-over upon landing gear contact with terrain.
What happened
The incident occurred during an aerial application flight. The pilot was operating the aircraft while paralleling a canal. At some point during this maneuver, the right wing became entangled in weeds growing along the canal bank. This entanglement caused the wing to contact the canal structure itself.
As the situation developed, the aircraft began a right turn. During this phase, the airspeed decreased significantly. The left main landing gear then struck the terrain. Following this impact, the aircraft nosed over.
The investigation
A review of the event noted that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions reported prior to the incident. The sequence of events was driven by external environmental factors rather than system failure.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles during aerial application, resulting in wing entanglement and subsequent loss of control.