What happened
On May 28, 2024, at approximately 1346 Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer G-164B airplane, N3629Y, was involved in a fatal accident near Richvale, California. The aircraft was being operated by AvAg as part of a Part 137 aerial application flight.
The aircraft departed from runway 34 at the Richvale Airport (07CL) carrying 80 gallons of Jet-A fuel and 345 gallons of agricultural material in its hopper. After becoming airborne near the middle of the runway, the airplane began a shallow left turn toward the northwest. During this maneuver, the lower right wing of the aircraft struck a hopper trailer that was parked on the left side of the runway, approximately 110 feet before the runway threshold.
Following the collision, the airplane descended and struck the terrain near a drainage culmat beyond the north end of the runway. The aircraft came to rest on its left side in a field. The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury due to blunt force injury of the neck.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the airframe and engine confirmed that flight control continuity was maintained from all surfaces to the cockpit controls. Internal components of the engine showed signatures consistent with the engine producing power at the time of impact. There were no indications of mechanical anomalies that would have prevented normal engine operation.
Physical examination of the wreckage revealed significant damage, including the separation of the empennage from the fuselage and the separation of the engine from the airframe. The right bottom wing sustained a large gouge and depression that extended through the wing spar. The upper wing had completely separated from the fuselage, and both lower wings had partially separated at their wing roots.