Ayres S2R-T34 N4004D

Summary

On 4 August 2010 at about 15:30 local time, a Ayres S2R-T34 registered N4004D, operated by Custom Ag and Air, Inc., was involved in an accident near Donalsonville, Georgia, United States. One person was 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.

Date

4 August 2010 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Donalsonville, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

31.0069, -84.8775

Aircraft

Ayres S2R-T34

Registration

N4004D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Custom Ag and Air, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Donalsonville → Donalsonville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10LA401

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power due to a failure of the compressor turbine blades for undetermined reasons.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he was applying chemicals to a field at 200 feet above ground level when the engine lost power. He said that he heard a "pop" sound, heard the engine "spool down," and observed blue smoke trailing from the top of the engine cowling. He selected a nearby field and performed a forced landing. The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain during the landing. The pilot said that he heard the sound of "something spinning" coming from the engine cowling before he subsequently shut down the engine, after which the sound ceased. Upon exiting the airplane, he saw oil draining from the lower aft portion of the engine cowling. Postaccident examination revealed internal engine damage along the gas-path downstream of the compressor turbine. The compressor turbine blades were fractured about 1/3 to 1/2 of their respective spans and displayed burning erosion and coating loss. Visual and macroscopic inspection of the blade fracture surfaces displayed no indications of fatigue or other progressive fracture mechanism. The definitive failure mechanism of the blades was not determined. The compressor turbine blades were manufactured by a third-party vendor under a Federal Aviation Administration Parts Manufacturer Approval. The blade manufacturer required that the blades be submitted for overhaul inspection after the first 5,000, and each subsequent 3,000 hours of operation thereafter. The installation and overhaul history of the blades could not be determined from maintenance records provided.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.