Rancho Murieta Airport, Rancho Murieta, CA

Location :  Rancho Murieta Airport is located 1 mile west of Rancho Murieta, California.

History :

Rancho Murieta Airport Today:  Obstructions reported; deer and turkey in the area, especially at night; Trees;  Closed to night operations; Intensive flight training; Aerobatics; Helicopter operations; RC models; Ultralights;



Airport Services and Amenities:  American Aerial Surveys; Flying Vikings, Inc.; San Joaquin Helicopters; Food within 1 mile; Rental Cars available;

Special Events and Attractions:   Equestrian Center; Country Club;

Airport Area Accident History:

Accident occurred Monday, February 13, 2006 in Rancho Murieta, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 5/29/2007
Aircraft: Piper PA-24-260, registration: N9212P
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane landed short of the approach end of the runway following a landing gear extension malfunction and the nose and main landing gear were sheared off. The pilot departed on a cross-country flight and he was unable to retract the airplane's landing gear, and diverted to another airport to have a mechanic inspect the landing gear. The mechanic placed the airplane on jacks, inspected, and functionally checked the landing gear. No mechanical anomalies were noted, and the mechanic returned the airplane to service. The pilot refueled the airplane to its capacity of 5.5 hours of flight time, and continued the flight to his destination airport. Approximately 4 hours later he arrived at the destination airport and noted it was still light outside. He placed the landing gear handle in the down position, but did not receive a down and locked indication inside the cockpit. He then tried unsuccessfully to manually lower the landing gear several times, but it did not fully extend. The pilot flew around the airport for an additional 1.5 hours trying to extend the landing gear. At that point, he realized the airplane was in a low fuel state and it was dark outside. He did not feel that he could safely make it a nearby airport and decided to make a precautionary landing. Neither the pilot nor fire department personnel waiting on the ground could get the airport runway lights turned on. The airplane landed short of the runway. The Safety Board investigator-in-charge, and a Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector examined the landing gear system. With the use of an ohmmeter and the airplane's wiring diagram, they were able to determine that the nose landing gear limit switch had an intermittent fault in the normally closed circuit position. According to the airplane's manufacturer, an intermittent fault in the nose landing gear limit switch would cause the landing gear motor to fail to complete either the landing gear UP or DOWN cycle. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: an electrical fault in the nose gear limit switch circuit, which lead to an intermittent failure of the landing gear extension system. Also causal was the pilot's failure to fully complete the emergency gear extension procedure. A factor in the accident was the inoperative runway edge lights. ===
Accident occurred Sunday, February 12, 2006 in Rancho Murieta, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 8/29/2006
Aircraft: Globe Swift GC-1A, registration: N80715
Injuries: 2 Minor.
During the landing rollout on runway 22, the airplane veered off the runway to the right, encountered soft soil, and nosed over. The pilot thought that the right brake dragged, and then locked up after touchdown. The airplane veered to the right and nosed over in soft dirt after leaving the runway. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined the airplane and found no evidence of mechanical malfunction or lockup with the brake system. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane on the landing roll. ===
Accident occurred Wednesday, January 04, 2006 in Rancho Murieta, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/25/2006
Aircraft: Cessna 152, registration: N49391
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The airplane nosed over during a forced landing in a muddy field after a loss of engine power. The instructor stated they were completing a flight review for the pilot at the time of the accident. After the airplane was fueled the instructor sumped the tanks and found water in the right wing. The pilot told the instructor that during the preflight he also found water in the sump. The instructor sumped the tanks 3 or 4 times until there was no water in the samples. Both pilots were then confident there was no more water in the fuel tanks and they proceeded with the flight. After a simulated engine failure the pilot applied full throttle to go around. About 400 feet mean sea level on climb out, the engine lost power and the instructor took the controls to make an emergency landing. A soft muddy field was the only place available that the airplane could glide to and the instructor performed a soft field landing, but the nose gear dug into the ground and the airplane nosed over. An examination of the engine and fuel system was conducted after the accident. Water was found in the gascolator and carburetor bowl. A fuel supply was plumbed into the wing root fuel line and the engine was started on the first attempt. The engine was stopped and started again with no anomalies found. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: fuel contamination (water) due to the inadequate preflight by both pilots, which failed to detect the residual water contamination in fuel system. A factor in the accident was the soft terrain condition at the forced landing site. ===
Accident occurred Thursday, November 10, 2005 in Rancho Murieta, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/25/2007
Aircraft: Bell 47D1, registration: N16356
Injuries: 1 Serious.
The helicopter landed hard following the in-flight separation of the tail rotor assembly. During cruise, the pilot felt a vibration in the anti-torque pedals and attempted to make a precautionary landing in an open field. The tail rotor assembly separated prior to the pilot reaching the landing spot and the helicopter started to rotate and landed hard. The helicopter bounced back into the air, struck the ground again with the transmission bending over the cockpit area. Examination of the tail rotor assembly revealed that one of the pitch change links bolts had separated with the shank portion broken from the threaded portion of the bolt. A metallurgical examination of the bolt revealed that the fracture surface of the shank portion had been subjected to reverse bending fatigue. The arced lines were symmetrical on each side of the shank that culminated in a thin, dark, hourglass-shaped region in the center of the two arced lines. Burnishing observed on the fracture was typical of failures in bolts that have not been properly preloaded. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: a separation of the tail rotor assembly due to the reverse bending fatigue fracture of a tail rotor pitch change link bolt, resulting in a loss of control of the helicopter, and a hard landing during the uncontrolled descent. ===
Accident occurred Wednesday, August 03, 2005 in Rancho Murieta, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 8/29/2006
Aircraft: Beech A23, registration: N1456L
Injuries: 2 Serious, 1 Uninjured.
The airplane collided with terrain about 1/4 mile short of the destination airport following a total loss of engine power. The student pilot reported that while conducting the airplane preflight inspection, the certified flight instructor (CFI) interrupted her requesting that she (the student) put some items in the baggage compartment. The student did not check the airplane's fuel quantity and could not recall if the instructor finished the preflight. Shortly thereafter, they departed for the 6-nautical-mile flight. While on the base leg of the traffic pattern at the destination airport, the engine lost power. The instructor took control of the airplane and attempted to land at the airport. The student pilot did not recall the instructor manipulating the fuel selector or turning the fuel pump on. A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the left fuel tank was full of fuel and the right fuel tank was empty. The right fuel tank had not been breached and there was no evidence of leakage from other system components and lines. The fuel selector valve was positioned on the right tank. The airplane's manual states that takeoff is prohibited with less than 11 gallons in each tank. An examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of pre-mishap mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: fuel starvation due to the inadequate fuel system management by both pilots. Also causal was the inadequate preflight inspection by both the instructor and student and their failure to verify the fuel quantities in each fuel tank, and, the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. ===
Accident occurred Thursday, September 07, 2000 in RANCHO MURIETA, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/1/2001
Aircraft: Hughes 269C, registration: N50638
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
During cruise the helicopter collided with power lines and was destroyed in the postimpact fire. The purpose of the flight was to herd cattle at one of the ranches. The helicopter was discovered when the local fire department was notified of a fire and downed power lines in the vicinity of the accident. Prior to arrival, the local fire department was not aware that there had been an aircraft accident. When they arrived on scene they observed the helicopter in the middle of the fire. In 1993 the pilot was involved in a similar accident. He was herding cattle when the helicopter struck power lines and crashed. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's inadequate visual lookout during cruise, which subsequently led to a wire strike.


Rancho Murieta Airport Approach / Landing: