NTSB Factual Report

On September 5, 2001, at 1022 central daylight time, a Grumman G-164B agricultural airplane, N48655, was destroyed when it impacted a tower and terrain while maneuvering near Lydia, Louisiana. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by Detraz Flying Service of Abbeville, Louisiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The local flight departed the Le Maire Memorial Airport, Jeanerette, Louisiana, at 1008.

According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, the airplane was observed maneuvering at 500 feet. The airplane then impacted a 500-foot tower, which was lighted and depicted on an aeronautical chart, with its left wing. The airplane traveled 700 feet from the tower base before impacting the ground.

At 1053, the weather observation facility at the Acadiana Regional Airport (located 15 miles northwest of the accident site) reported broken clouds at 1,600 feet agl, 10 statute miles visibility, and a calm wind.

According to the operator, the pilot had accumulated approximately 15,000 total flight hours, of which approximately 11,000 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane. On his last FAA medical examination application, dated June 15, 2001, the pilot listed a total flight time accumulation of 15,500 hours.

An autopsy was performed by the Jefferson Parish Forensic Center, Harvey, Louisiana. According to the autopsy report, the pilot died of "multiple blunt force traumatic injuries" sustained in an airplane crash. A toxicology test was performed by the Civil Aeromedical Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with the following results:

0.01 ug/ml cocaine detected in blood

0.212 ug/ml benzoylecgonine detected in blood

0.352 ug/ml benzoylecgonine detected in liver

0.296 ug/ml norfluoxetine detected in blood

norfluoxetine detected in kidney

Benzoylecgonine is a metabolite of cocaine and norfluoxetine is a metabolite of fluoxetine, which is a prescription antidepressant medication also known by the trade name Prozac. Review of the pilot's last medical application revealed that the pilot did not report using any medication.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with a marked tower while maneuvering.