Lodi, CA, USA
N3859E
Piper PA-36-375
The pilot was flying low over a grape vineyard to apply sulfur dust to the crop. He had made two application runs with no problems encountered. As he set up for the third run, he observed that the sulfur applied on the previous two runs had aggregated into a cloud and had drifted through the area in which he would be flying. He decided to continue the application run, and lost all visual contact with the ground as the airplane flew into the sulfur dust cloud. 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 reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane during the flight.
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.
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.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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