Schweizer G-164B accident near Buttonwillow, California, February 5, 2011
On February 5, 2011 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Schweizer G-164B, registered N6725K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Buttonwillow, California. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 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 maintain clearance from an irrigation vent pipe.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 5, 2011 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Buttonwillow, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer G-164B
- Registration
- N6725K · registry record · serial 438B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was making a low aerial application pass over a field, dispensing smoke to determine wind direction and velocity. The airplane struck a 20-foot-high irrigation vent pipe, which was located in the field that he was working. He proceeded straight ahead and attempted a forced landing on a dirt road immediately next to the field because the engine was losing power. Upon touching down, the right main wheel encountered soft dirt and the airplane nosed over inverted, bending the engine mount and wrinkling the fuselage and vertical stabilizer.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 17,870 hours in all; 8,371 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 17,620 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 16, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Slikker Flying Service Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: Priv Buttonwillow CA at 5:15 pm
- Destination: Priv Buttonwillow CA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from BFL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N6725K the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.