Schweizer Aircraft Corp G-164B accident near Richvale, CA
On May 28, 2024, a Schweizer Aircraft Corp G-164B (airplane) was involved in an accident near Richvale, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 28, 2024
- Place
- Richvale, CA
- Aircraft
- Schweizer Aircraft Corp G-164B · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.501°N, 121.771°W
- NTSB ID
- 20240528194331
Official records · ANC24FA038
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On May 28, 2024, about 1346 Pacific daylight time, a turbine-powered Schweizer Aircraft Corp G-164B airplane, N3629Y, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Richvale, California. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. According to the operator, the airplane departed with 80 gallons of Jet-A turbine fuel onboard and 345 gallons of agricultural material in the airplane’s hopper. The pilot was departing runway 34 at the Richvale Airport (07CL), scheduled to spray multiple agricultural fields. Runway 34 was 50 ft wide and 2220 ft long. A witness, located at the north end of the airfield, reported seeing the airplane become airborne about midfield before it began a shallow left turn to the northwest. The airplane’s lower right wing subsequently struck a hopper trailer that was parked off the left side of the runway, near the departure end, about 110 ft before the threshold (see figure 1). After the collision, the airplane descended and impacted terrain near a drainage culvert beyond the north end of the runway. Figure 1. Trailer and accident airplane (Courtesy of California Highway Patrol) The airplane came to rest on its left side in a field about 150 ft northwest of the departure end of runway 34 and was oriented on a heading of 299° magnetic. All the major structures of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The airplane’s first point of impact was the top of the hopper trailer. Several ground scars that formed about a 25-ft-long arc were
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a trailer located on the edge of the runway during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the location of the trailer on the side of the runway.
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Browse: California · Schweizer aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
