# Accident 20130215003199A: Ayres Corporation S2R-T34, Ft. Gaines, GA, February 15, 2013

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 15, 2013, 15:00 local time
- Place: Ft. Gaines, GA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: RARG
- Location: 31.4881° N, 85.0097° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.4881&lon=-85.0097&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3095X, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3095X) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Ayres S2R-T34 (registry code 0970106, https://openairdocs.org/model/ayres-s2r-t34) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A (registry code 52043, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-60a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AYRES CORPORATION S2R-T34
- Reported engine: P&W CANADA PT6
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,870 total, 1,870 in this make and model, 113 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA13LA138](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA138) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130215003199A

## Narrative

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

N3095X, AN AAYRES CORPORATION MODEL SR2-T34/AG AIRPLANE, WAS CONDUCTING DISPENSING OPERATIONS ON THE AFTERNOON OF 02/15/2013, SOUTHEAST OF FT. GAINES, GA.

THE PILOT NOTICED AN UNBALANCED FUEL LOAD AND THEN NOTED SOME ROUGHNESS TO THE ENGINE OPERATION JUST AS THE DISPENSING OPERATION WAS ENDING. THE PILOT HEADED DIRECTLY BACK TO BASE.  AT THIS TIME THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE RIGHT TANK POSSESSED LESS FUEL THAN THE LEFT TANK.

MOMENTS LATER THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AND THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE AIRCRAFT TO MAKE AN EMEERGENCY LANDING IN A SPARCELY WOODED FIELD WHICH HAD BEEN RECENTLY HARVESTED, SO MOST LARGE TREES WERE ABSENT.

ON TOUCHDOWN/ROLLOUT DURING THE CRASH SEQUENCE, THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT, FACING THE DIRECTION IT APPROACHED FROM, MAKING A 180 DEGREE TURN ON TOUCHDOWN .

DURING THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION THE FAA/IIC NOTED THAT BOTH TANKS POSSESSED FUEL, YET THE RIGHT TANK POSSESSED A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER AMOUNT OF FUEL THAN THE LEFT TANK. AT THIS POINT, THE FUEL LEVEL ISSUE WAS POSSIBLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST LEFT WING LOW. THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE LEFT GEAR WAS DISPLACE TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE DURING THE LANDING/CRASH SEQUENCE, PLACING THE LEFT WING LOWER THAN THE RIGHT.

ADDITIONALLY, THE FUEL SYSTEM CONTAINED A CENTER HEADER TANK WHICH WAS GRAVITY FED BY BOTH WING TANKS. THE FUEL ON/OFF SELECTOR WAS DOWNSTREAM FROM THE HEADER TANK INBETWEEN THE HEADER TANK AND THE ENGINE. THE FUEL SWITCH WAS NOTED TO BE IN THE "ON"  POSITION AND IT WAS MOVING FREELY WHEN TESTED. THE FUEL TANKS DID NOT RUPTURE YET SOME OF THE FUEL COULD HAVE MOVE INTO THE LEFT TANK AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST LEFT WING LOW DUE TO THE DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR.

## 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 ERA13LA138](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA138), Feb 15, 2013: Ayres S2R-T34 (N3095X), Fort Gaines, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of debris in the fuel control unit.

## Other reports on N3095X (1)

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

- [Accident 19960817023169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960817023169A), Aug 17, 1996: Ayres S2RT34NORMAL (N3095X), Helena/West Hel, AR, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Aircraft taking off on runway hit a dump truck which pulled out in front of aircraft. (-23) during the take off of N3095X an unauthorized dump truck drove onto…

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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