Yakovlev YAK-50 N613BM
20 September 2024 · Watsonville, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 20 September 2024 at about 19:45 local time, a Yakovlev YAK-50 registered N613BM was involved in an accident near Watsonville, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Watsonville, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Watsonville Muni (WVI)
- Coordinates
- 36.0000, -121.0000
- Aircraft
- Yakovlev YAK-50
- Registration
- N613BM
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1984
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR24LA317
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The Yak-50 pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from another airplane while taxiing and maneuvering. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inattention due to a distraction inside the cockpit.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of the Yak-50 reported that he started taxiing from the airport transient area towards the active runway as the lead airplane for a formation training flight with three airplanes following behind. He remarked that there is no forward visibility in his tailwheel equipped airplane and typically completes S turns to improve his visibility. However, the pilot assumed the approaching run-up area was clear and was concerned that the airplane’s pneumatic system was low, so he decided not to perform any additional turns to conserve air. He traversed the intersecting runway and still did not accomplish an S turn because he was now distracted by the radio and still trying to conserve air. As he approached the engine run-up area he looked to the left and then looked to the right at which time he observed his right wingtip contact the propeller of the Beechcraft S35, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. According to the pilot of the Beechcraft S35, he had finished his engine run-up at the active runway and was waiting for airplanes to pass and takeoff before he departed. While configuring his radio for the flight he noticed movement on his left and observed the Yak-50 moving quickly. The Yak-50 did not follow the curve of the taxiway and its right wing impacted his airplane. The pilots of both airplanes reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies or malfunctions that could have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yakovlev YAK-50 | N613BM | - | Substantial |
| Beechcraft S35 | N6027F | - | Minor |
Other Yakovlev YAK-50 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jun 2025 | Yakovlev YAK-50 | Hayward, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Oct 2007 | Yakovlev YAK-50 | El Cajon, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Feb 2024 | Airbus Helicopters EC 130 | Halloran Springs, California, United States | Orbic Air LLC | Fatal | 6 |
| 25 May 2024 | Boeing 737-8 | Oakland, California, United States | Southwest Airlines Co | No injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 2024 | Cessna 152 | Amboy, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Feb 2024 | Evektor-Aerotechnik A S HARMONY LSA | Santa Ana, California, United States | Sunrise Aviation Company | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2024 | Grumman/Schweizer G-164D | Richvale, California, United States | Avag Inc | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jul 2024 | Boeing B75N1/N2S-3 | Hollister, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |