Schweizer, N36289 G-164B accident near Kaplan, Louisiana, August 15, 2012
On August 15, 2012 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Schweizer, N36289 G-164B, registered N36289, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Kaplan, Louisiana. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines during the aerial application flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 2012 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Kaplan, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer, N36289 G-164B
- Registration
- N36289 · no longer on the register · serial 746B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting an aerial application flight at the time of the accident. During the spray application, the airplane struck a power line. The airplane nosed over and impacted the ground. A postaccident examination of the wreckage found no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 7,000 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 7,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,171 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 23, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 3,290 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Vincent Flying Service, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Kaplan LA at 3:30 pm
- Destination: NONE Kaplan LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N36289 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.