- Date
- May 9, 2025, 08:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Butte City, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7503LSchweizer G-164B
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250509017149A
- Case key
- 200178
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 use of engine beta prior to ensuring the tailwheel was on the ground during landing roll.
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 stated that the approach to land was fast. During landing rollout, he used engine beta to slow the airplane while the tail of the airplane was not on the ground. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to both the top wings, empennage, and engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7503L
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 826B
- Built
- 1990
- Airframe hours
- 11,005
- Engine
- P&W R1340 SERIES, 750 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Cw Equipment Rentals Inc, doing business as Williams Ag Service, LTD
- Registered owner
- Cw Equipment Rentals Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2025 · 17 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- NA · Private, runway UNK, 2,600 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- None
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
- 51
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 31, 2025
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,800 total · 697 in this make and model · 2,700 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- SAC, 60 nm away
- METAR
- 8:53 AM 70 °F 50 °F 49 % N 3 mph 0 mph 30.04 in 0.0 in Fair
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 17, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.9 MB in all.
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 N7503L · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.