Sutter County Airport, Yuba City, CA

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Accident occurred Saturday, November 04, 2006 in Yuba City, CA
Aircraft: Aircraft Mfg & Dev. Co. (AMD) CH601XL SLSA, registration: N158MD
Injuries: 2 Fatal. This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. On November 4, 2006, about 1139 Pacific standard time, an Aircraft Manufacturing & Development Co., CH601XL SLSA, N158MD, experienced an in-flight breakup while cruising approximately 8 nautical miles south of Yuba City, California. The airplane was destroyed. The private pilot, who was a co-owner of the airplane, and a passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated from Lincoln, California, about 1129. A ground-based witness reported hearing the airplane as it approached his location. The witness stated that the airplane's engine was "missing" and its power was "on and off." Seconds later the witness heard the sound of an explosion and observed the center section of the airplane falling straight down. All of the airplane's structural components were located in adjacent open fields during the National Transportation Safety Board's on-scene investigation. The wreckage consisted of the following components, which were separated from each other: left wing (without aileron); right wing (with aileron); main landing gear assembly; cockpit, engine with attached propeller blades; aileron (left wing); and empennage. There was no evidence of oil spray on any of the components, and there was no evidence of fire. The wreckage has been recovered and detailed airframe and engine examinations are ongoing. ===
Accident occurred Thursday, May 11, 2006 in Yuba City, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 8/29/2006
Aircraft: Grumman G-164A, registration: N4892
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane stalled during departure from the airstrip and collided with trees. The airplane was loaded with 1,800 pounds of chemical and the temperature was approximately 85 degrees Fahrenheit. During the initial climb, the pilot realized that the airplane would not be able to clear the trees at the end of the runway. He attempted an avoidance maneuver but the airplane stalled and impacted trees. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed during the takeoff initial climb. ===
Accident occurred Saturday, April 01, 2006 in Yuba City, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/25/2007
Aircraft: Bell UH-1H, registration: N710WD
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The helicopter collided with trees and the ground following an in-flight loss of control while conducting an aerial spraying operation. The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to spray a fungicide on several tree orchards in the area. After about 3 miles in flight he reached the orchard to be treated and slowed the helicopter. He initiated a descending left turn. During the turn the flight controls locked and the pilot thought the helicopter was experiencing a hydraulic failure. He maneuvered the helicopter to avoid power lines and attempted to regain control. He turned the hydraulic system off and manipulated the cyclic in an effort to obtain level flight. The helicopter impacted trees. A follow-up examination of the helicopter by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors and a technical representative from the helicopter's manufacturer revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter in general and the hydraulic control system in particular. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's in-flight loss of control of the helicopter for undetermined reasons. A factor was the trees. ===
Accident occurred Saturday, April 30, 2005 in Yuba City, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 8/29/2006
Aircraft: Grumman G-164A, registration: N5304
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
During the takeoff initial climb, the pilot heard a loud bang followed by a partial loss of engine power, and made an emergency landing on a dry rice field. The airplane landed hard, sheared off the landing gear, and tumbled before coming to rest on its belly. The post accident engine inspection revealed that the number 7 cylinder was cracked along the cylinder fins and around the top and bottom spark plug holes. The cylinder was removed revealing a crack along the inside portion of the combustion chamber of the cylinder head from spark plug hole to spark plug hole in-between the intake and exhaust valves. The engine logbooks entries did not show removal of the number 7 cylinder at any time between the last overhaul in 1999 and the date of the accident. The last inspection took place 5 months prior to the accident. The reasons for the cracks were not determined. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: a partial loss of engine power due to multiple cracks in the number 7 cylinder. The reasons for the cracks were not determined ===
Accident occurred Friday, January 14, 2005 in Yuba City, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/28/2006
Aircraft: Cessna T210L, registration: N5177V
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
During a 20-minute flight, the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion, and the pilot forced landed the airplane in a river. Prior to departure, the pilot noted that the left fuel tank gauge indicated less than 1/4 tank and the right fuel tank gauge indicated 1/4 tank of fuel. The pilot did not visually verify the fuel quantity in the tanks and departed using the right tank. The pilot climbed the airplane to 5,500 feet mean seal level and set the manifold pressure and rpm at 25 inches and 2,500 rpm, respectively. He then leaned the mixture to 30 degrees, lean of peak. During cruise flight, the pilot felt a drop in power and noticed a fluctuating fuel flow indication and almost 1/4 tank of fuel indicated on the right gauge. He switched to the left fuel tank, power was restored, and the fuel flow stabilized. While approaching to land at the nearest airport, the pilot extended the gear and set the flaps to the approach setting. Then, the engine began to lose power again and the fuel flow was fluctuating. He applied a full rich mixture, full forward on the throttle and the propeller. He also switched the fuel selector to the right tank and pitched the airplane's attitude for best glide speed. Because the airplane was about 1,500 feet above ground level and nearing the approach end of the runway, the pilot elected to perform a 360-degree turn in order to dissipate the airplane's altitude. As the airplane came through 270 degrees, he noted that the airplane was too low to land on the runway. After assessing his other landing options, the pilot elected to land the airplane in the river. He raised the gear and slowed the airplane to 80 miles per hour. Upon landing, the pilot egressed the airplane and swam to shore. The pilot felt that he should not have departed without refueling the airplane. The airplane had accumulated about 5 1/2 hours since its last refueling. The pilot said that he was planning on obtaining fuel from another airport in his city; however, a family member called requesting a ride from a nearby airport and he decided to refuel there instead. Performance calculations indicated that the usable fuel level would have been nearly depleted based on the flight profiles and times since the last refueling of the airplane. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's inadequate preflight preparation and failure to verify the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. ===
Accident occurred Sunday, August 15, 2004 in Yuba City, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 9/13/2005
Aircraft: Cessna 172M, registration: C-GTKX
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
The airplane collided with a sign, then stalled and impacted terrain while attempting a takeoff from a residential street. The street was about 2,000 feet in total length with a cul-de-sac on each end. Radar data showed that the airplane flew parallel to an airport runway about a mile to the west and then made a 630-degree turn (1 3/4 turns) over the accident area. The airplane landed toward the south on the road located in a housing development that was under construction and taxied back to the the north until it reached a parked semi truck that was about 1,300 feet from the south end of the road. The airplane then turned around facing the south. Witnesses said the the airplane momentarily stopped, with the engine revving, then it began to roll down the road and subsequently became airborne. During the initial climb, the airplane's left wing impacted a sign, and as it approached a power line pole, the nose pitched up. About 40 to 60 feet above ground level the airplane stalled and nose-dived toward the terrain. There was no evidence of premishap mechanical malfunctions observed during the examination of the engine and airframe. According to friends of the pilot, he could not hear the stall warning horn due to a hearing impairment condition. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall. ===
Accident occurred Saturday, February 21, 2004 in Yuba City, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/28/2004
Aircraft: Gillespie Sport Copter Vortex, registration: N96XV
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
The gyrocopter collided with the ground in an uncontrolled descent following a loss of engine power. This was the second test flight for the gyrocopter. A witness reported that the gyrocopter flew overhead at 50 feet, with the engine sputtering. It then entered a steep descent and impacted a dry riverbed about 45 yards away. At the wreckage site, approximately 1/2 tank of fuel was present. No fuel was found in either of the two carburetors. The blades of the pusher propeller, made of carbon fiber and foam filled, were displaced from the gyrocopter and displayed cracks on the surfaces, but were otherwise intact. The main rotor was bent downward and had impacted the gear ring on the main drive shaft. The Rotax 582 engine contained oil and was rotated. The tachometer time indicated a total engine operation time of 12.2 hours. Post accident inspection of the gyrocopter revealed that a vacuum line to the pneumatic fuel pump, which is made of a soft and easily collapsible nylon reinforced vinyl material, was kinked at a 45-degree angle at its attachment fitting. The pilot had a total gyrocopter flight time of 11 hours and this was the second test flight for this gyrocopter. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: a loss of engine power due to the incorrect installation of the fuel line, which resulted in fuel starvation, and the pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM, which resulted in an inflight loss of control. A factor to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience flying gyrocopters.

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