Ayres S2R-G6 N60015

Summary

On 1 July 2009 at about 17:46 local time, a Ayres S2R-G6 registered N60015, operated by Air Advantage Inc, was involved in an accident near Ainsworth, Iowa, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 July 2009 at 17:46

Classification

Accident

Location

Ainsworth, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

41.2890, -91.5507

Aircraft

Ayres S2R-G6

Registration

N60015

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Air Advantage Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Washington → Ainsworth

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09LA403

1 person was seriously injured.

A component failure of the fuel control unit, which resulted in a loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane experienced a loss of engine power while maneuvering at a low altitude during an aerial application flight. The pilot was unable to regain engine power after he turned the boost pump on and moved the throttle control to the full forward position. He then performed a forced landing on terraced terrain. A postaccident engine examination revealed evidence of continued rotation when the airplane impacted the ground. Examination of the fuel control unit (FCU) revealed that the bellows spring was fractured and the overspeed governor ball head bearing retainer was fragmented. Pieces of the fragmented retainer were found within the flow divider and fuel manifold. An unidentified contaminant was observed on the bearing race shoulder which misaligned the ball head bearing. The FCU was reportedly overhauled in 2003, but there were no component or aircraft records indicating the FCU's maintenance and installation since its manufacture. A search of the Federal Aviation Administration's service difficulty database did not specifically cite failures of the ball head bearing retainer, and the failures that were listed did not indicate the nature of those failures. The FCU manufacturer reported having no record of failures of the ball head bearing retainer; however, the repair facility that overhauled the FCU reported they had seen failures of the ball head bearing retainer.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.