On July 21, 1997, a Gulfstream-schweizer G-164B (registration N8031K) was involved in an aviation accident near Palestine, AR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain visual scanning of the area while flying low, which resulted in the airplane striking power lines and being destroyed by fire. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An agricultural aircraft struck power lines while applying chemicals to a bean field. The pilot diverted attention to grain bins, causing the plane to catch fire and be destroyed during a forced landing.
What happened
The pilot was conducting agricultural operations, specifically applying chemical treatments to a bean field. During this phase of the flight, the pilot reported that he was attempting to trim up around the edges of the treated area. At the moment of impact, the pilot admitted to diverting his attention by looking at some nearby grain bins.
During the collision with the power lines, the airplane caught fire. Following the impact, the aircraft executed a forced landing but was subsequently destroyed by fire.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the collision and the subsequent destruction of the aircraft. The pilot's account indicated that the loss of situational awareness regarding the power lines was due to looking away at grain bins during the critical phase of flight.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain visual scanning of the area while flying low, which resulted in the airplane striking power lines and being destroyed by fire.