Plane Veers Off Runway

A Grass Valley man lost control of his single-engine plane and crashed while trying to take off Friday.

No one was injured in the 1 p.m. accident at the Nevada County Airpark, said Bruce Marlowe, a passenger in the plane. His father Richard Marlow was the pilot.

Bruce Marlow estimated the damage on the newly restored 1946 Swift two-seater plane at $50,000, he said.

Taxiing for takeoff behind Marlow's plane was an aircraft piloted by California Highway Patrol Officer Matt Causie.

Causie saw the accident and thought crosswinds at the airport and the rear steering system of the Swift were to blame, he said.

"This is a fairly common accident for planes with a tail-wheeled steering system," he said. "It is really just a fender-bender for aircraft."

The Nevada County Sheriff's Department was on the scene to take an accident report, according to a dispatch report. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection also responded with staff and equipment based at the airport. [NCCFD was also on scene].

Airport Manager Zelna Morrow shut down the airport immediately as a precaution, she said.

The plane took three years to restore, Richard Marlow said.

The Marlows live in one of the houses around the airport, Karyl Marlow said.

"(The plane) is his passion," Marlow said. "He literally took it apart and reassembled it."

Richard Marlow was helping a crew disassemble his plane at 2 p.m. as he waited for a crane to haul it away.

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