Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR accident near Hollister, California, August 6, 2015
On August 6, 2015 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1942 Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR, registered N48701, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hollister, California (Frazier Lake Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to observe the runway environment while operating in the traffic pattern and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from a lawnmower on the runway during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the lawnmower operator's decision to remain on the runway while troubleshooting the mowing equipment without monitoring the airport's common traffic advisory frequency.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2015 · about 5:30 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Hollister, California · Frazier Lake Airpark · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR NO SERIES, built 1942 · all ST3KRs on the register
- Registration
- N48701 · registry record · serial 2101
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following an uneventful flight in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, the pilot entered the airport traffic pattern for the nontowered airport, which featured a single turf runway. The pilot announced his position on the airport's common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF). The pilot continued to turn onto the base leg and then onto final, announced his position on each segment, and landed in a 3-point attitude. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a stationary, occupied lawnmower and a truck on the right side of the runway. The pilot further reported that he did not see the lawnmower while he was in the traffic pattern or during the landing sequence. The driver of the truck, who was talking to the person operating the lawnmower, reported that they were located on the right side of the runway, just beyond a turnoff to the taxiway, and were discussing an issue with the mower. The driver further reported that the lawnmower operator did have a headset connected to an aircraft transceiver; however, he was not wearing it during the conversation. It is likely that the nose-high attitude of the tailwheel-equipped airplane and the pilot's position in the rear seat reduced the pilot's forward visibility during the landing and subsequent landing roll precluded his ability to see objects directly in front of the airplane. However, the pilot would have had adequate visibility to inspect the runway for obstructions while operating in the traffic pattern. In addition, if the lawnmower operator had been using the transceiver to monitor the CTAF, it is likely that he would have heard the approaching airplane and repositioned the lawnmower off the runway before the airplane landed.
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 landing (landing roll)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring communications › Airport personnel
- Environmental issues › Task environment › Physical workspace › Visibility › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Airport personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,186 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 4, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,513 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 2014; 15 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Kinner R5 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: San Jose CA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 1C9 Hollister CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 2,500 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 5:30 pm from KCVH, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on July 12, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - Witness | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Airport Facilities Directory Listing for the Airport on the Day of the Accident | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Airport Facilities Directory Listing with Post Accident Changes | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Accident Site Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Record of Conversation - Airport Operations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N48701 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Ryan Aeronautical ST3 117 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Ryan Aeronautical 168 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Kinner R5 SERIES 157 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Frazier Lake Airpark · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,094 in the last ten years
- California 28,279 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR15LA233.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.