Grumman-Schweizer G-164A accident near Waitsburg, Washington, February 28, 2001
On February 28, 2001 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Grumman-Schweizer G-164A, registered N48651, was destroyed in an accident near Waitsburg, Washington. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power lines during a pull-up, resulting in an in-flight collision with the lines, loss of control and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing factors were the power lines and the pilot's degraded visual detection due to the background terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2001 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Waitsburg, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Registration
- N48651 · no longer on the register · serial 1685
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was engaged in a pull-up maneuver while applying fertilizer over a field. Unmarked power lines crossed the north end of the field on an east/west line. The pilot lost sight of the lines against the upsloping background terrain and impacted all three lines. The upper wing was severed from the aircraft and the aircraft subsequently crashed out of control.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,120 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 1,120 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 24, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,744 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 20, 2000; 40 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W 1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 2WA9 Waitsburg WA at 10:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.