Petaluma Municipal Airport, Petaluma, California

Airport Location:   The Petaluma Municipal Airport is located 1 mile north east of Petaluma, California.

Airport History: The Petaluma Municipal Airport was built with grant funds from the FAA and completed in 1985.

Since then, additional grants have allowed further development and the city's investment will be repaid through a series of airport fees.

Petaluma Municipal Airport Today: Intensive flight training; Banner towing; Helicopter operations; Ultralights;



Airport Services and Amenities: Aeroventure; Mangon Aircraft, Inc.; Taxis; Rental Cars; Restaurant on the field; Two Niner Diner; Lodging within 3 miles; Fuel; Cheveron Texaco Jet; 100LL; Self service; 100LL 24 hours;

Special Events and Attractions: Golf; Theater; Bodega Bay; Adobe Creek Museum; Pacific Coast Air Museum; Wineries;

Airport Area Accident History:

On June 19, 2009, about 1915 Pacific daylight time, an experimental weight-shift-control aircraft (trike) Paul Antares, N729YF, lost control during landing and impacted the runway in a nose down attitude at the Petaluma Municipal Airport (O69), Petaluma, California. The owner/pilot operated the trike under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The pilot received serious injuries, and the trike sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot reported that on the descent to enter the pattern, at 1,500 feet above ground level (agl), she encountered turbulence that worsened as she entered the pattern. On final approach the trike had extra airspeed and power because of the weather conditions, and she planned on landing about halfway down the runway to avoid "rotor" from the hangars on the upwind side of the first half of the runway. The pilot stated that she decided to descend more rapidly once past the runway numbers in the hope the air would be smoother, but it was not. She felt that she had retained aircraft control during final approach; however, at 50 feet, a gust of wind pushed the trike off runway centerline. As she corrected back to the runway, the trike became uncontrollable and impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the trike.

The pilot also stated that had she stayed at the higher altitude and attempted the landing, like her fellow pilots, she would not have experienced the "unmanageable downdraft," that she encountered.
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  Accident occurred Saturday, September 17, 2005 in Petaluma, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 1/31/2006
Aircraft: Piper PA 28-181, registration: N8103X
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The airplane collided with a fence during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that he flew on the left fuel tank for start-up, taxi, and takeoff. After reaching his cruise altitude of 8,500 feet, he switched to the right fuel tank approximately 45 minutes into the flight. When the right fuel gauge was indicating "zero," the pilot switched back to the left fuel tank while making stair step descents to his final destination. About 4 miles north of the accident location and 18 miles south of his destination, the engine began sputtering and he switched the fuel selector to the right tank and turned on the electric fuel pump. The engine started to run normally, but the fuel indicator on the left tank was reading over 5 gallons and the right tank was indicating zero gallons. He immediately reversed course toward an airport he had just overflown and planned to land on runway 11. Due to a departing airplane on runway 29, the pilot maneuvered to land on runway 29 and entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. As he entered downwind, the engine began sputtering again and then lost power. The pilot attempted to land on runway 29 and made s-turns to dissipate the excessive altitude in order to make the runway. Prior to touching down, the pilot extended two notches of flaps. Upon touchdown, he applied the brakes but the airplane overran the runway, went through a fence, and came to rest on a golf course. The airport manager immediately responded to the accident site and found that there was no fuel in the fuel tanks or on the ground. About 1 ounce of clean fuel was found in the gascolator. Using the fuel flow for 75 percent best power from the performance charts in the aircraft flight manual for the trip elapsed time, including the allowances for takeoff and climb fuel burn, yields a total fuel consumption of 49.25 gallons. The airplane's usable fuel is 48 gallons. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ===
Accident occurred Wednesday, February 09, 2005 in Petaluma, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/25/2006
Aircraft: American AA1B, registration: N5704L
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
The aircraft stalled, entered a spin, and descended to ground impact following a loss of engine power in the takeoff initial climb. During the climb out following a touch-and-go, the airplane's engine sputtered and backfired. The airplane made a low and tight downwind turn. The airplane paralleled the runway before it pitched nose up and entered a stall, which was followed by a nose down right-hand spin; the airplane then impacted a grass fairway on a golf course adjacent to the airport. Examination of the airframe revealed that the right-hand fuel tank contained very little fuel while the left fuel tank was half full. The fuel selector valve was positioned to the right-hand fuel tank. The carburetor bowl contained 5 milliliters of fuel, which is consistent with fuel starvation . The fuel selector valve handle was separated from the stem post and the fracture surface of the post at the selector handle interface is consistent with bending overload forces that would have occurred during the airframe's collision with terrain and buckling of the instrument panel . The fuel selector valve had not been lubricated in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended servicing instructions, which resulted in binding. The binding caused the fuel valve to require approximately three times the normal force to operate it. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed above the stall speed (Vso) while maneuvering to a landing area that resulted in a stall-spin. Factors in the accident were the fuel starvation induced loss of engine power due to the pilot's fuel system mismanagement, and the mechanical binding of the fuel selector valve due to inadequate maintenance. ===
Accident occurred Thursday, October 28, 2004 in Petaluma, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 1/24/2005
Aircraft: Champion 7GCAA, registration: N9081L
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The pilot was adjusting the propeller's position by hand when the engine started, and the pilotless airplane taxied across the ramp and into a parked airplane. After numerous unsuccessful start attempts using the airplane's electric starter, the pilot examined the engine and adjusted the propeller by hand. When he adjusted the propeller the engine started. He had left the brakes off, the magnetos on, and the throttle advanced. After the engine started, the pilot backed away, and the airplane moved forward. The pilot attempted to arrest the movement by grabbing on to the right wing strut, but this action was unsuccessful. The airplane continued forward eventually impacting the nose onto the right front side of a parked airplane. The pilot's operating manual states in the before starting checklist to set the brakes, and in the starting checklist to crack the throttle open 1/2 to 1 inch. The shutdown checklist states the mixture should be idle - cut off and the magnetos off. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's failure to follow the published prestart, start, and shutdown procedures. ===
Accident occurred Sunday, July 11, 2004 in Petaluma, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/7/2005
Aircraft: Cessna 182A, registration: N4094D
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The airplane's nose gear collapsed while landing. The airplane bounced upon touchdown and continued to porpoise down the runway. The nose gear fork separated from the lower strut, resulting in the nose impacting the runway. Examination of the nose tire revealed a flat spot and several cuts surrounding it. The nose wheel was broken and pieces of the wheel penetrated the tire, destroying the inner tube . The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's improper flare and inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a collapse of the nose landing gear. ===
Accident occurred Saturday, October 25, 2003 in Petaluma, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 3/2/2004
Aircraft: Piper PA-20, registration: N7409K
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane ground looped during the landing roll. The pilot configured the airplane to land with full flaps and the engine running at idle. On the landing roll the airplane ground looped to the right and came to rest about 70 degrees from the runway heading. The left wing tip and propeller came into contact with the ground, and the left main landing gear collapsed. A light, quartering headwind existed, with winds from 170 degrees at 4 knots and gusting to 8 knots. The pilot said the airplane had no mechanical discrepancies. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's inadequate compensation for a crosswind condition and failure to maintain directional control that resulted in a ground loop . ===


  Petaluma Municipal Airport Approach / Landing: