19 Jun 2008: Piper PA-36-375 — San Joaquin Air

19 Jun 2008: Piper PA-36-375 — San Joaquin Air

No fatalities • Lodi, CA, United States

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate in-flight decision to continue the flight into an area of obscured visibility and his failure to maintain clearance above obstacles.

— NTSB Determination

Accident narrative

In a written statement, the pilot reported that he was flying low over a grape vineyard to apply sulfur dust. After making two application runs, he began a third run, and observed that sulfur dust from the previous two runs had drifted into the area through which he would be flying. He continued the run, and lost all visual contact with the ground as the airplane entered the sulfur dust cloud. He felt the left wing hit a grape trellis, which pulled the airplane down and to the left. The airplane traveled 150 yards on top of the grape trellises before stopping inverted on the ground. The pilot indicated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.

Contributing factors

  • Fence/fence post
  • cause Altitude — Not attained/maintained
  • Decision related to condition
  • cause Pilot

Conditions

Weather
VMC, vis 10sm

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