Turlock Municipal Airport, Turlock, CA

Location : Turlock Municipal Airport is located 8 miles south east of Turlock, California.

History :

Turlock Municipal Airport Today: Intensive flight training;



Airport Services and Amenities:  Aero Vista, Inc.; Courtesy car; Lodging within 8 miles;

Special Events and Attractions: Castle Air Museum; Fairgrounds Stanislaus County;

Airport Area Accident History:

Accident occurred Wednesday, July 08, 2009 in Turlock, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 9/30/2009
Aircraft: BELL 47G-2, registration: N6768D
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The pilot reported that while in a turn to reverse direction after completing a downwind spray run, "I noticed my RPMs getting low. As I was coming back down into the field I was rolling on throttle but could not get RPMs where I wanted them. I was hoping for the wind to help me, but there wasn't much wind at the time." The pilot stated that he pushed the cyclic forward to get airspeed, followed by pumping the collective to try to get power back. "I did this all the way until I hit the ground." The pilot reported that the helicopter impacted the ground in a flat, level attitude at about 40 miles per hour before skidding 30 feet and coming to a stop in an upright position.
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On February 18, 2009, about 1000 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 152, N48761, was substantially damaged during a forced landing shortly after takeoff from the Turlock Municipal Airport, Turlock, California. The flight instructor was not injured, and the student pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, KS Aviation, Inc., Atwater, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plan was filed.
The flight instructor reported that he and the student pilot were conducting a series of practice touch-and-go landings. During takeoff initial climb following the fourth landing, about 100 feet above ground (agl), the engine lost power. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and verified the mixture was fully enriched and the fuel shut off valve was in the on position. He executed a right turn of about 50 degrees and initiated a forced landing in a rough, soft field. During the landing roll, the nose wheel dug into the soft terrain. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane by operator revealed that the vertical stabilizer and rudder were crushed, the firewall was bent, and the propeller was damaged.
The airplane was recovered from the accident site to a hangar at the Turlock Airport and examined by an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic employed by the operator. The mechanic reported that the wings were removed during recovery, but the fuel lines were capped. The mechanic drained the fuel from the airplane's wing tanks, and found no water. During examination of the engine, he noted that the bottom spark plugs of the number one and four cylinders exhibited "evidence of water." Additionally, the mechanic found water and fuel in the fuel sump, although the water "was not high enough to reach the screen."
In order to perform an engine run, the mechanic replaced the damaged propeller and jury-rigged a fuel supply using fuel drained from the airplane. The mechanic stated that the engine was started and run at various speeds with no anomalies noted.
The nearest weather reporting station at the Merced Municipal Airport (MCE), located 15 nautical miles southeast of the accident site, reported at 0953, temperature 9 degrees Celsius and dew point 6 degrees Celsius. Plotting these values on a carburetor ice probability chart indicated that the conditions were conducive to serious icing at any power setting.
The operator's chief pilot stated that the company believed "the engine stoppage was the result of carb ice." He further stated that their "procedures for operations include the proper application of carb heat," and these procedures would be reviewed with their instructors and students.
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Accident occurred Tuesday, October 30, 2007 in Turlock, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/28/2008
Aircraft: Cessna 152 , registration: N64994
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The pilot reported that during an attempted touch-and-go landing, he landed the airplane from a forward slip at a higher airspeed than normal. He was then momentarily uncertain about whether or not to continue the landing or to abort. After a short period of indecision he elected to try and do a full stop landing. The pilot attempted to turn off the runway at the departure end, but was traveling too fast to make the turn onto the taxiway and the airplane ran off the end of the pavement and into a ditch. The accident occurred on October 30 , 2007, and the airplane sustained what appeared to be minor damage. In December 2007, after removal of the cowling, it was discovered that the firewall had been damaged during the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's delayed decision to abort the landing, which resulted in a runway overrun. ===
Accident occurred Saturday, September 29, 2007 in Turlock, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/29/2007
Aircraft: Piper J5A, registration: N38234
Injuries: 1 Minor.
The pilot turned off the fuel selector prior to starting the engine and he forgot to turn it back on during taxi for takeoff. The engine lost all power and stopped. The airplane was not equipped with a starter. When the pilot hand propped the engine for a restart the airplane was not securely tied down, and the throttle was not at idle. The engine started and revved up. The pilot attempted to restrain the airplane by holding on to it, and he was injured in that endeavor. The unoccupied airplane became airborne and climbed about 200 feet above the ground. Thereafter, it banked right and descended into a corn field next to the airport.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's failure to properly and adequately tie down the airplane during the engine start operation. ===
Accident occurred Saturday, October 28, 2006 in Turlock, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 5/29/2007
Aircraft: Fish Vans RV-6, registration: N1198N
Injuries: 2 Serious.
The airplane experienced a partial loss of engine power and collided with the ground during the pilot's attemp to return to the departure runway. After reaching about 500 feet above ground level (agl) in the takeoff initial climb, the pilot noted a loss of engine revolutions per minute (rpm) and a decrease in airspeed. He maneuvered the airplane in a 180-degree turn in an attempt to return to the runway. The airplane stalled and the pilot attempted to recover. The airplane entered an accelerated stall again and descended rapidly. Upon impact, the airplane touched down hard, subsequently nosing over and coming to rest inverted. The pilot performed a post-accident examination of the engine and discovered that both spark plugs in the no. 4 cylinder were oil fouled. Additional investigation found that two of the rings on the number four piston were broken, allowing oil to move past the piston into the combustion chamber .
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: a partial loss of engine power due to the broken piston rings in the no. 4 cylinder. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in a stall/mush.


Turlock Municipal Airport Approach / Landing: