- Date
- July 22, 1994, 01:00 local (08:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ligurta, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3626DSchweizer G-164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 10, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940722019069A
- Case key
- 28805
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 failure to assure the suitability of the landing area prior to the flight. The dark night and the badger hole were factors in the accident.
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
After conducting a reconnaissance flight over the field he was going to spray, the pilot then overflew the dirt airstrip to check for obstacles and landed. During roll-out, the left wheel entered a badger hole and the airplane nosed over.
Factual narrative
On July 22, 1994, at 0100 hours mountain standard time, a Schweizer G-164B, N3626D, nosed over during the landing roll on a privately owned airstrip near Ligurta, Arizona. The pilot was completing a visual flight rules local aerial application reconnaissance flight. The airplane, owned and operated by Pierce Aviation, Buckeye, Arizona, sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated at Rolle Airport, Rolle, Arizona, at 0030 hours.
The pilot reported in the aircraft accident report that after departing Rolle Airport he conducted an aerial reconnaissance flight over the field he was going to spray. He then overflew the privately owned dirt airstrip to check for obstacles and landed. During the landing roll-out, the left main wheel entered a badger hole and the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3626D
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 717B
- Airframe hours
- 4,400
- Engine
- P&W PT6-34AG, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Same As Registered Owner
- Registered owner
- Pierce Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 25, 1994
- Departed
- 44A · Rolle, AZ
- Destination
- NONE
- Airport
- Ligurta, runway 10, 1,800 × 60 ft, gravel
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 12,500 total · 30 in this make and model · 12,350 as pilot in command · 130 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
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 N3626D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.