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20010804020689A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Ayres S-2R · Latah, WA · August 4, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 4, 2001 · 11:45 local
Place
Latah, WA
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
F58G
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N4237X
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA01LA146
Reported as
Ayres S2R
N4237XRegistration cancelled Jun 29, 2004 · Rockwell International S-2RS/N 2008R · Built 1974Airframe modelRockwell International S-2REngine modelPratt & Whitney R1340 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The pilot had just finished spraying a field with a pre-harvest topcoat of roundup when he noticed the engine lose power and start popping. He said he did a mag check with no change in operation. He set up for landing in a neighboring field, landed slightly down hill and skipped across several knolls before impacting at the bottom of a small ravine in the field. The prop dug in, and the engine separated from the airframe at the accessory housing coming to rest behind the aircraft to the left. The airframe bounced and slid sideways another 50 feet and came to rest, folding the left main gear and tailwheel. Both wings were damaged in the process. The left fuel sump was bent slightly and stuck in the open position dripping any remaining fuel onto the bent back tire, then vaporized. I rocked the aircraft to check for fuel and did not hear any in the left tank. A few drops of fuel moved to the drain and came out during this test. Five gallons of fuel was removed from the right tank during retrieval. Mr. Faunce indicated there should have been the same amount of fuel in the left tank, also. Only one prop blade sustained damage indicating the engine had low or no power on at the ti me of impact.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT HAD JUST FINISHED SPRAYING A FIELD WITH A PRE-HARVEST TOPCOAT OF ROUNDUP WHEN HE NOTICED THE ENGINE LOSE POWER AND START POPPING. HE SAID HE DID A MAG CHECK WITH NO CHANGE IN OPERATION. HE SET UP FOR LANDING IN A NEIGHBORING FIELD, LANDED SLIGHTLY DOWN HILL AND SKIPPED ACROSS SEVERAL KNOLLS BEFORE IMPACTING AT THE BOTTOM OF A SMALL RAVINE IN THE FIELD. THE PROP DUG IN, AND THE ENGINE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AT THE ACCESSORY HOUSING COMING TO REST BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT. THE AIRFRAME BOUNCED AND SLID SIDEWAYS ANOTHER 50 FEET AND CAME TO REST, FOLDING THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND TAILWHEEL. BOTH WINGS WERE DAMAGED IN THE PROCESS. THE LEFT FUEL SUMP WAS BENT SLIGHTLY AND STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION DRIPPING ANY REMAINING FUEL ONTO THE BENT BACK TIRE, THEN VAPORIZED. I ROCKED THE AIRCRAFT TO CHECK FOR FUEL AND DID NOT HEAR ANY IN THE LEFT TANK. A FEW DROPS OF FUEL MOVED TO THE DRAIN AND CAME OUT DURING THIS TEST. FIVE GALLONS OF FUEL WAS REMOVED FROM THE RIGHT TANK DURING RETRIEVAL. MR. FAUNCE INDICATED THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK, ALSO. ONLY ONE PROP BLADE SUSTAINED DAMAGE INDICATING THE ENGINE HAD LOW OR NO POWER ON AT THE TI ME OF IMPACT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA01LA146Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLatah, WAthe failure of a cylinder head exhaust rocker shaft boss while the aircraft was performing aerial application. Factors include soft terrain and a drop-off in the field where the emergency landing took place.Aug 4, 2001 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4237X · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19760730021999ALow Level Operations · Firebaugh, CAAcft collided with canal bank.Jul 30, 1976 · Substantial damage