Schweizer G-164B accident near Olancha, California, August 16, 2000
On August 16, 2000 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Schweizer G-164B, registered N6543R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olancha, California. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and fuel consumption calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2000 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Olancha, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer G-164B
- Registration
- N6543R · no longer on the register · serial 362B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in the cruise portion of a positioning flight, the engine lost power. During the forced landing on a dirt road, which had shoulders higher than the roadbed, the lower left wing dug into a dirt shoulder and the airplane nosed over. The pilot told the deputy he thought the airplane might be out of fuel. The deputy did not observe fuel leaking on the ground or any wet spots under the inverted airplane. After the airplane was righted during recovery, the Federal Aviation Administration accident coordinator noted 3 gallons of fuel were drained from the fuel system. The operator said this represented the unusable fuel quantity for this airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 20,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,846 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 17, 2000; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W 1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DLO Delano CA at 12:50 pm
- Destination: O26 Lone Pine CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 145°F (63°C), dew point 93°F (34°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from BIH, 69 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.