Two Pilots Fatally Injured

The pilots of two Grumman G-164C Ag Cat crop dusters were fatally injured May 16 when the aircraft they were flying were involved in a mid-air collision near Pleasant Grove, CA.

The San Jose Mercury News reports that the pilots have been identified by the Sutter County Sheriff's Office as 58-year-old Burton Haughey of Wheatland, CA and Brian VanDyke, 62 of Rio Oso, CA. The aircraft were seeing a rice field when the accident occurred.

“Law enforcement is reporting to us that two single-engine Grumman G-164C Ag Cats collided in midair under unknown circumstances over Striplin, California, around noon,” FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said in a statement. “One pilot was reportedly on board each aircraft.”

Sutter County Undersheriff Scott Smallwood said that the planes came down in the field about 150 yards from each other.

The Sacramento Bee reports that VanDyke was ejected from his aircraft, while Haughey's body had to be extracted from the wreckage.

No other details have been released.

(Image from file. Not accident airplane)

FMI: Source report
Source report