- Date
- August 19, 1991, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Verona, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7501KSchweizer G164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910819035129A
- Case key
- 27331
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 improper planning/decision to depart from a runway with high vegetation along the edge and subsequent collision with terrain.
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
The certificated commercial pilot was departing a small airstrip on the fourth flight of the day to apply chemicals to nearby rice fields. During the takeoff roll, the pilot maneuvered the airplane to avoid a clump of weeds at the departure end of the airstrip. During the maneuver, the left wing struck vegetation on the left side of the strip, causing the airplane to swerve into an adjacent field. The airplane then struck a small berm and nosed over. The pilot was not injured. The pilot's medical certificate was not valid for the operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7501K
- Reported as
- Schweizer G164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 802B
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Farm Air Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Farm Air Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 6, 1991 · 6 hours before
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 7,500 total · 6,500 in this make and model · 7,450 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SMF, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7501K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.