Ayres S 2R N3003N

Summary

On 25 August 2016 at about 13:15 local time, a Ayres S 2R registered N3003N was involved in an accident near Cordele, 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

25 August 2016 at 13:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Cordele, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

31.9636, -83.7825

Aircraft

Ayres S 2R

Registration

N3003N

Category

Airplane

Year built

1995

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cordele → Cordele

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA451

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during an agricultural application flight while flying toward the sun.

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 maneuvering at low altitude, while performing an agricultural aerial application flight. He reported that he decided to fly underneath power lines and misjudged the height of the lines in relation to the airplane. He recalled that the airplane's vertical stabilizer and rudder struck the power lines. He landed the airplane in a field and the landing gear collapsed. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, left wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector that interviewed the pilot shortly after the accident, reported that the pilot stated that the sun was in his eyes as he passed under the power lines. He reported that the pilot did not immediately execute a precautionary landing after striking the lines; instead he made one more spray pass. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operations. During the course of the investigation, the NTSB Investigator-in-charge attempted to contact the pilot on multiple occasions to no avail. The pilot did not submit an NTSB Form 6120.1.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.