# Accident 20010118000829A: Ayres S2R, Holtville, CA, January 18, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 18, 2001, 15:30 local time
- Place: Holtville, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: LSWG
- Location: 32.8295° N, 115.1901° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8295&lon=-115.1901&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8927Q, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8927Q-2001-07-10) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Ayres S-2R (registry code 0970101, https://openairdocs.org/model/ayres-s-2r) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AYRES S2R
- Reported engine: PWA PT6A34AG
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 10,000 total, 200 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA078](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA078) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010118000829A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) THIS LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE STOKER COMPANY AGRICULTURAL AIRSTRIP IN IMPERIAL, CA., IN VMC CONDITIONS AT 1530 HOURS. PILOT WAS SPRAYING IN A CARROT FIELD, AND AS HE APPROACHED THE FILED FROM THE WEST HE TRIED TO FLY UNDER UTILITY WIRES. THE A/C STRUCK A SECOND SET OF WIRES THAT WAS NOT VISIBLE TO THE PILOT. PILOT LOST CONTROL OF A/C, THE A/C IMPACTED THE CENTER OF THE FIELD AND HIS UNSEATED, UNRESTRAINED PASSENGER (SINGLE OCCUPANT A/C) WAS EJECTED FROM THE A/C. (.4) ON JANUARY 18, 2001, AT 1542 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN AYRES S2R-T34, N8927Q, COLLIDED WITH UTILITY LINES AND CRASHED IN AN AGRICULTURAL FIELD NEAR HOLTVILLE, CALIFORNIA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES WHILE THE UNSEATED PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS AN AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 137. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE STOKER COMPANY AGRICULTURAL STRIP IN IMPERIAL, CALIFORNIA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. A FLIGHT PLAN HAD NOT BEEN FILED. THE PILOT TOLD IMPERIAL COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT DEPUTI                                            ES THAT HE WAS SPRAYING A CARROT FIELD. AS HE APPROACHED THE FIELD FROM THE WEST, THE PILOT FLEW UNDER THE UTILITY LINES THAT RAN ALONG MELOLAND ROAD BUT HIT THE SECOND AND LOWER SET OF LINES. HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS SET OF UTILITY LINES AND [JUST] HEARD A LOUD NOISE, LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN THE CENTER OF THE FIELD. THE UNRESTRAINED PASSENGER WAS EJECTED FROM THE COCKPIT. DEPUTIES HAD FOUND THE LOWER SET OF UTILITY LINES BROKEN. THE UPPER SECTION OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER HAD BEEN SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE. A POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PASSENGER WAS A MAINTENANCE EMPLOYEE WITH THE COMPANY. THE AIRPLANE WAS CONFIGURED TO ACCOMMODATE A SINGLE PILOT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX01LA078](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA078), Jan 18, 2001: Ayres S2R-T34 (N8927Q), Holtville, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the wires. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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