Ayres S2R-T34 N61373

Summary

On 1 September 2023 at about 02:15 local time, a Ayres S2R-T34 registered N61373 was involved in an accident near Three Rocks, California, 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

1 September 2023 at 02:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Three Rocks, California, United States

Nearest airport

None - Private Farm Strip (N/A)

Coordinates

36.4436, -120.3105

Aircraft

Ayres S2R-T34

Registration

N61373

Category

Airplane

Year built

1996

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Corcoran → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA333

Nobody was injured.

The airplane’s exceedance of the critical angle of attack, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane’s hopper had been loaded with 300 gallons of water. During the takeoff roll, the airplane did not accelerate as expected so he initiated the emergency dump procedure to jettison the water. The airplane became airborne and the pilot maintained a high angle of attack to climb over trees near the end of the runway. The airplane subsequently experienced an aerodynamic stall, descended into an adjacent field, and impacted terrain. The left wing, right aileron, and elevator sustained substantial damage. The pilot said he suspected the airplane performance was affected by density altitude and he reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.