Ayres S2R T34 N4018Q

Summary

On 2 June 2015 at about 17:40 local time, a Ayres S2R T34 registered N4018Q, operated by Morris Ag Air & Sons, Inc., was involved in an accident near Blythe, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 June 2015 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Blythe, California, United States

Coordinates

33.5886, -114.6661

Aircraft

Ayres S2R T34

Registration

N4018Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Morris Ag Air & Sons, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Blythe → Blythe

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR15LA176

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting aerial application operations with the assistance of a spotter on the ground. The spotter saw the airplane fly over power lines along the perimeter of an adjacent field. The airplane then entered a nose-high attitude, consistent with the pilot's normal practice of pushing the chemical toward the spreader doors. The airplane continued to climb in a near-vertical ascent until reaching about 500 ft above ground level, after which the airplane entered a nose-low vertical descent that continued to ground contact. An examination of the wreckage revealed that all major components were accounted for at the accident site, and flight control continuity was established. No unusual meteorological phenomena were reported by the closest weather station or observed by witnesses to the accident. It is likely that, during the nose-high maneuver, the airplane exceeded its critical angle-of-attack and experienced an aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.