Grumman G164

Full Narrative

On June 4, 2020, about 0600 Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer Aircraft Corp G-164B, N8486K, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lincoln, California. The pilot sustained a minor injury. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural flight.
The pilot stated that on the takeoff roll, as soon as the tailwheel started to lift off the ground, he felt the left brake lock up, which pulled the airplane hard to the left. He corrected with full right rudder, after which the airplane straightened out, but the left brake locked up again. The pilot pulled the stick back to see if he could get the airplane flying; however, he did not have enough airspeed to keep the airplane airborne. The airplane barely made it off the east side of the runway before it touched down in a flooded rice field. When the main gear sunk into the mud, the airplane flipped over on its back, which resulted in substantial damage to all four wing panels and the empennage. The pilot successfully evacuated the airplane through the left door with a minor injury. The wind in the area at the time of the accident was reported as calm.
A postaccident examination of the airplane's brake system was performed by a licensed Federal Aviation Administration airframe and powerplant mechanic. The mechanic reported that while rotating the left wheel with the brake off, and then with brake pressure applied, the brake system operated normally, with no anomalies noted. The mechanic also reported that his examination failed to reveal any irregularities in the brake master cylinder, the brake cylinders, or any brake lines or fittings in the airplane's left brake.