- Date
- May 11, 1995, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Richvale, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8507HGrumman 164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950511011709A
- Case key
- 29093
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 maintain a glidepath adequate to avoid an obstacle, and his inadequate compensation for the wind.
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 pilot reported that approaching runway 18 at the airstrip, the airplane was too low and too slow and it started to mush. The pilot continued with the approach and landing, and the airplane collided with a 'bobtail' truck. At the time, the wind was from 180 degrees at 15 knots.
Factual narrative
On May 11, 1995, at 1400 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Grumman 164A, N8507H, operated by AVAG, Inc., collided with a truck while landing at the Cherokee (uncontrolled) airstrip near Richvale, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the agricultural flight. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the commercial pilot received minor injuries. The flight originated from Richvale, California, at 1350 PDT.
According to the pilot, while coming in for a landing on runway 18, the airplane was "to low and to slow," and it "started to mush." The pilot continued with the approach, and the airplane collided with a "bobtail" truck. At the time, the wind was from 180 degrees at 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8507H
- Reported as
- Grumman 164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1384
- Airframe hours
- 2,155
- Engine
- P&W R-1340 AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Avag, Inc., doing business as Agricultural Flight
- Registered owner
- Vince Crop Dusters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 1995 · 10 hours before
- Airport
- Cherokee Strip, runway 18, 2,000 × 50 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
- 65
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 14,724 total · 450 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °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 N8507H · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.