Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Clarksburg Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wilton, California 95693
Sunday, May 27, 2012 8:15 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot had just completed an aerial application of sulfur dust over a vineyard when the hopper gate closing mechanism failed as he attempted to stop the flow. The sulfur continued to flow from the hopper, so he initiated a steep turn to keep the dust within the confines of the vineyard. As he rolled out of the turn, the plume of sulfur ignited and a fire began within the hopper. He performed a forced landing into a residential driveway and the airplane sustained substantial damage during the ground roll.
The airplane was configured to minimize the hazards of inadvertent fire during sulfur dusting operations; however, the evasive flight maneuver performed by the pilot may have brought the uninterrupted flow of sulfur dust into contact with hot engine exhaust. An alternative ignition source may also have been provided by a spark from the failed gate mechanism. The gate mechanism sustained thermal damage, which prevented an accurate assessment of its failure mode.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the hopper gate mechanism and subsequent sulfur fire during a low-level maneuver.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/27/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 815 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Wilton |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95693 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 382016n |
| Event Location Longitude | 1211408w |
| Event Location Airport | Clarksburg |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PVT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 14 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 7 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 845 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 350 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KMHR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 98 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.13 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KMHR 271545Z 18006KT 10SM FEW015 13/08 A3013 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30558 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 3 2012 3:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8380 |
| NTSB Number | WPR12LA233 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GRUMMAN ACFT ENG COR-SCHWEIZER |
| Aircraft Model | G-164A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 874 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 16 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 56 |
| Airframe Hours | 12376 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AVERY WALTER DBA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | COURTLAND |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95615-0455 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | HARDING, HARRY NELSON |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | COURTLAND |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 95615 |
| Operator Code | HSGG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | HSGG807E |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PVT |
| Departure City | Clarksburg |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 745 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | PVT |
| Destination City | Wilton |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 3 2012 3:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |