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Vacaville Aviation Accident Attorney

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Attorney Michael Rehm — (800) 978-0754

Aviation Accidents at Nut Tree Airport

Nut Tree Airport (VCB), operated by the City of Vacaville, is a general aviation airport in Solano County between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. It serves personal aviation, flight training, and agricultural operations in a region where Sacramento Valley weather patterns can produce rapid deterioration in visibility and ceilings at night and in winter months. Solano County also hosts Travis Air Force Base (KSUU), one of the largest military air installations in the country, generating a separate category of aviation accident exposure governed by federal law rather than California tort law. The NTSB has investigated three fatal accidents in the Vacaville area since 1982, with four fatalities, and eight serious-injury accidents.

Attorney Michael Rehm represents people injured in aviation accidents at Nut Tree Airport and in Solano County. The Vacaville record includes an ATC error contributing to a fatal night VFR accident — a federal tort claim against the United States — as well as balloon accidents and fixed-wing weather crashes.

NTSB Accident Record at Nut Tree Airport

The following is drawn from the NTSB's CAROL accident database and represents historical investigation records only.

The most significant accident in the Vacaville record for liability purposes is March 1991, documented as NTSB Accident Report No. LAX91FA138, in which a Piper PA-28R-201T crashed killing two during night VFR flight under low clouds. The NTSB found the pilot continued VFR flight at night under low clouds and failed to maintain sufficient altitude over rising terrain. Critically, the NTSB also found that air traffic control was a contributing factor: the controller inaccurately confirmed to the pilot that the terrain ahead was flat when in fact rising terrain lay ahead. A controller who tells a pilot the terrain is flat when it is not has made an affirmative misrepresentation that the pilot is entitled to rely upon. That reliance, and the death that followed, creates a Federal Tort Claims Act claim against the United States for the ATC error.

The August 2011 Cameron Balloons A-315 serious-injury accident (WPR12CA035) involved a commercial balloon operation by Napa Valley Balloons Inc. in which the balloon encountered increased wind on landing and the hard landing resulted in one serious injury. A January 2004 Cessna 140 accident (LAX04LA092) resulted in two serious injuries after the pilot failed to obtain a preflight weather report. A March 1993 Piper PA-28-161 accident (LAX93LA152) resulted in two serious injuries from a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. The December 2003 Cessna 172L accident (LAX04LA089) killed one after the NTSB found the pilot improperly hand-propped the aircraft starting procedure.

Liability in Vacaville Aviation Cases

Air Traffic Control Error — FTCA Claim

The March 1991 accident (LAX91FA138) illustrates how an ATC error can transform a pilot negligence case into a federal tort claim. The pilot's decision to continue night VFR under low clouds was negligent. But the controller's inaccurate terrain confirmation gave the pilot additional reason to press on — and the controller, as a federal employee acting within the scope of employment, contributed to the fatal outcome. The Federal Tort Claims Act (28 U.S.C. § 1346(b)) provides the cause of action against the United States for the controller's error. An administrative claim must be filed with the FAA within two years of the accident under 28 U.S.C. § 2401(b). Both the pilot's estate and the United States can bear concurrent liability for the same fatal accident.

City of Vacaville as Airport Operator

Nut Tree Airport is operated by the City of Vacaville, a public entity. Claims against the City for dangerous conditions at the airport are governed by Government Code § 835. The City is vicariously liable for the acts of its employees under Government Code § 815.2. Claims against the City require a government tort claim under Government Code § 911.2 within six months of the incident. Missing this deadline can potentially bar a lawsuit. Tolling may apply — contact Attorney Michael Rehm to assess the specific timeline in your case.

Travis Air Force Base and Military Aviation Claims

Travis Air Force Base operates military aircraft throughout the Solano County area. Claims involving accidents caused by military aircraft or military operations are federal claims. If the claimant is an active-duty military member whose injury was incident to service, the government may raise the Feres doctrine as a defense — but Feres does not apply to civilian bystanders, contractors, or dependents. Civilian claims arising from military aircraft accidents in the Vacaville area follow the FTCA administrative claim procedure.

Filing Deadlines for Vacaville Aviation Claims

The personal injury statute of limitations is two years under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. Claims against the City of Vacaville require a government tort claim within six months under Government Code § 911.2. FTCA claims against the federal government require an administrative claim within two years. Missing any applicable deadline can potentially bar a lawsuit. None of these deadlines are self-executing, and tolling may apply depending on the facts.

Related Pages

Attorney Michael Rehm represents aviation accident victims in Vacaville and throughout California on a contingency fee basis. No fee without a recovery. Call (800) 978-0754 to arrange a free consultation.

The information on this page is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case turns on its own facts. The law can change — statutes are amended, cases are decided, and regulations are revised; nothing on this page should be relied upon as a statement of current law without verification. Deadlines and legal bars discussed on this page are general guides — whether a particular deadline applies, has run, or is subject to tolling, and whether a particular doctrine bars or limits recovery in your case, requires individual analysis. Contact Attorney Michael Rehm to discuss the specific facts of your situation.

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