- Date
- July 18, 1989, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Livingston, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8371KSchweizer G-164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890718026489A
- Case key
- 26155
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to attempt a takeoff on unsuitable terrain. A factor was the water on the airstrip.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
On the takeoff roll, the aircraft encountered a large puddle of water on the runway and nosed over. The runway was located next to a field that was recently irrigated and the pilot was not aware of the puddle of water from the field. He reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8371K
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 666B
- Airframe hours
- 2,046
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Bettencourt Flying Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 23, 1988 · 154 hours before
- Departed
- Livingston, CA
- Airport
- runway 36, 2,700 × 48 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,085 total · 1,064 as pilot in command · 187 in the last 90 days · 96 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 315° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.