- Date
- June 7, 2024, 17:00 local (Jun 8, 2024, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Richvale, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6736KGrumman/Schweizer G-164D
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 194431
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 take off with a tailwind and their failure to maintain clearance from terrain.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that after the airplane was loaded with 2,400 – 2,500 lbs of rice seed, he exited the loading area and initiated takeoff on a 2,200-foot long runway. During takeoff roll, about mid-field, the tail lifted up as he expected, and engine instruments showed expected performance. However, acceleration seemed diminished, and he increased power “to the stops.” Subsequently, the airplane struck an embankment at the end of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and bottom left wing leading edge. At the time of the accident, the pilot was departing runway 34, and wind was from 170° at 5 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6736K
- Reported as
- Grumman/Schweizer G-164D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31C
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 9,568.6
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT-6A-34AG, 750 hp, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Avag Inc
- Registered owner
- Avag Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 25, 2024
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- 07CL · Richvale Airport, runway 34, 2,200 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 11, 2023
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 250 in this make and model · 13,400 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 102 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.68 inHg
- Observed at
- OVE, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 6, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.4 MB in all.