On August 3, 1998, a Grumman G-164A (registration N8388) operated by Williams AG Service was involved in an aviation accident near Nelson, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate ground clearance altitude while applying chemicals to a rice field. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a chemical application flight, the pilot allowed the aircraft to descend too low after clearing wires, causing the main landing gear to contact water and crops before crashing into a rice field. No mechanical issues were reported.
Overview
An agricultural aircraft experienced an accident while conducting a chemical application operation over a rice field. The pilot had to navigate over wires to enter the field. During the first pass, the aircraft descended too low after clearing the wires, resulting in contact with water and crops and a subsequent crash.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, the approach required flying over wires to reach the designated field for chemical application. On the initial pass over the rice field, the pilot allowed the aircraft to get too low after clearing the wires. This prevented the pilot from pulling out in time, and the main landing gear wheels touched the water and crops. The aircraft then crashed into the rice field.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident. No other contributing factors were identified in the pilot's account.