PINEHURST, GA, USA
N8721H
Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
During an aerial application flight after clearing 75-100 foot-tall trees near the cotton crop field being sprayed, the aircraft was descended too low and the airplane came in contact with the 5 foot-tall cotton crop. The airplane then descended into the field and came to rest upright.
On August 15, 1997, about 1150 eastern daylight time, a Grumman G-164A, N8721H, registered to J and K Farm, Inc., descended into a cotton field near Pinehurst, Georgia, while on a 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated about 10 minutes earlier. The pilot stated that after loading the chemical the flight departed and he performed three or four spray passes on the field. While returning for another after passing over trees to begin chemical application, with adequate airspeed, the airplane continued descending and the main landing gear contacted the cotton crop. The airplane then impacted the field and came to rest upright. When asked if there was an engine malfunction the pilot advised he was not sure but he did state that he did not stall the airplane. According to an individual who recovered the airplane, the trees that the airplane had passed over were about 75-100 feet tall and the 5-foot-tall cotton crop began about 20 feet from the edge of the trees. The first impact point with the terrain was about 195 feet past the tree line.
The failure of the pilot to maintain clearance with the cotton crop while maneuvering to begin a spray pass over a 5 foot-tall cotton crop, resulting in the in-flight collision with the crop and terrain.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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