Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Blythe, California 92225
Thursday, April 19, 1990 10:10 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLTS OF 2 GRUMMAN G-164 ACFT (N6708K & N10222) PRE-ARRANGED TO CONDUCT AERIAL APPLICATION AT THE SAME FLD. THEY AGREED TO ENTER THE FLD AT OPPOSITE ENDS ON OPPOSITE HEADINGS & PERFORM A RACETRACK PATTERN. AT THE COMPLETION OF EACH SWATH, A LEFT TURN WAS PLANNED & THE SEQUENCE WAS TO BE REPEATED UNTIL THE APPLICATION WAS COMPLETED. A GROUND WITNESS RPRTD THAT AFTER COMPLETING A SWATH RUN, ONE OF THE ACFT (N6708K) TURNED TO THE RIGHT & INTO THE PATH OF THE OTHER ACFT (N10222). SUBSEQUENTLY, THE 2 ACFT CONVERGED & COLLIDED WITH ONE ANOTHER.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOTS OF N6708K AND N10222 TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT OF N6708K TO FOLLOW A PREARANGED PROCEDURE FOR REVERSING THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/19/1990
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1010
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City BLYTHE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92225
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator Yes
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1100 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 170
Weather Observation Facility ID BLH
Elevation of weather observation facility 397
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 7
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 29
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1069
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 19 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1045
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42289
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:54PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N6708K N10222
NTSB Number LAX90DUG05A LAX90DUG05B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 137: Agricultural Part 137: Agricultural
Type of Flight Plan filed None None
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Destroyed Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None Ground
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name GRUMMAN GRUMMAN
Aircraft Model G-164B G-164
Aircraft Series Identifier G-164B G-164
Aircraft Serial Number 374B 22
Certified Max Gross Weight 6872 6872
Aircraft Category Airplane Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No No
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1 1
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 29 1990 12:00AM Mar 21 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection -- --
Airframe Hours 4817 10580
ELT Installed No No
ELT Activated Unknown Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name CHUCK JONES FLYING SERVICE CHUCK JONES FLYING SERVICE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 216 W. HAMILTON ROAD 216 W. HAMILTON STREET
Aircraft Owner City BIGGS BIGGS
Aircraft Owner State CA CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 95917 95917
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name DONALD K. BURKDOLL MARK D. LORANCE
Operator Same as Owner? No No
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No No
Operator Street Address BOX 757 498 10TH STREET
Operator City BLYTHE BLYTHE
Operator State CA CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 92225 92225
Operator Code NHGG NHGG
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Agriculture Agriculture
Operator Certificate Number -- --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Unknown Unknown
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Unknown Unknown
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Unknown Unknown
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Aerial Application Aerial Application
Second Pilot on Board No No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City BLYTHE BLYTHE
Departure State CA CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0 0
Runway Length 0 0
Runway Width 0 0
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --