Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain during low-altitude maneuvering.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that during an aerial application flight he was spraying a mature wheat field along north-facing hillsides. As the pilot finished his last pass, he flew west along the steep hillsides. A strong gust of wind struck the airplane and the left wing dropped into the wheat. Subsequently, the airplane spun and cartwheeled in the wheat field before coming to a rest; the fuselage and empennage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine prior to the accident.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR10CA410 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Aug 18, 2010
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Genesee, Idaho
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Gulfstream-Schweizer A/C Corp GULFSTREAM AM G-164B
- N-number
- N8150K
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 137 (agricultural)
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial application
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.