Fleet 2 accident near Fresno, California, January 10, 2004
On January 10, 2004 at about 7:55 pm local time, a Fleet 2, registered N606M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fresno, California (Fresno-Chandler Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to set the throttle friction lock, which resulted in the inadvertent application of the throttle, followed by a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 2004 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- Fresno, California · Fresno-Chandler Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fleet 2 · all 2s on the register
- Registration
- N606M · registry record · serial 189
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing roll, the pilot lost directional control of the airplane, which then veered off the runway, encountered soft soil, and nosed over. The pilot said he performed maintenance on the throttle a few days prior to the accident. He loosened the throttle friction locks and forgot to tighten them. During landing, he took his hand off the throttle control and it went into the "wide open" position. The airplane swerved to the right, and then to the left and veered off the runway into soft dirt, and nosed over. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,285 hours in all; 1,285 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,431 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 6, 2003; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Kinner B-5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FCH Fresno CA
- Destination: FCH Fresno CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30L, 3,202 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.