Travel Air 4000 accident near Lodi, California, July 25, 1989
On July 25, 1989 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Travel Air 4000, registered N1592, was destroyed in an accident near Lodi, California. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO SEE AND AVOID POWER LINES, WHILE DISTRACTED BY A MOVING VEHICLE ON THE GROUND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 1989 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lodi, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Travel Air 4000 · all 4000s on the register
- Registration
- N1592 · no longer on the register · serial 288
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR OF THE SPRAY OPERATION, THE PILOT BECAME DISTRACTED, WHEN HE WAS WATCHING THE GROWER DRIVE OUT OF THE FIELD HE HAD SPRAYED. WHILE HE WAS WATCHING THE VEHICLE, HE INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO COLLIDE WITH POWER LINES. THERE WAS NO REPORTED MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,413 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 9, 1989; 414 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W-670-6N (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Precissi Flying Svc, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Q80 Lodi CA at 2:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX89DVD04.