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20260727008589I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Ayres S2R-G6 · Madison, SD · July 27, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 27, 2026 · 19:20 local
Place
Madison, SD
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
5WIG
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3091R
Reported as
Ayres S2R-G6
Reported engine
AiResearch TPE331-5-252M
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,400 total210 in this make and model200 in the last 90 days
N3091RRegistered now · Ayres S2R-G6S/N G6-107 · Built 1992Airframe modelAyres S2R-G6Engine modelAiResearch TPE331-5-252MTurbo-prop

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.

At approximately 7:20 pm on the rustic acres colony, SD 43.85099N, 97.11517W) an thrush S2R-G6 privacy data omitted experienced an off airport landing in a corn field due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft was performing FAR 137 operations per cert #5WIG wilde air service with pilot ethan bernard privacy data omitted. The determined incident was the result of pilot error, fuel exhaustion, as the c/b on the pilots panel (see attached photo) for the add on fuel single point system had popped limiting the onboarding of fuel at the last chemical reloading and then subsequent take-off without visual certification of the refueling process being completed as requested. The low fuel warning system was wired to the same circuit breaker as the single point so the pilot back-up had also been inop. The holes in the accident scenario lined up perfectly. No substantial damage was obtained by the aircraft and no injury to the pilot. Tail was removed from fuselage for ease of removal from the corn field he was spraying and now his landing zone. Pilot has received consolation on preflight actions and complacency in this type of operation and no further action to follow.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 7:20 PM ON THE RUSTIC ACRES COLONY, SD 43.85099N, 97.11517W) AN THRUSH S2R-G6 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXPERIENCED AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN A CORN FIELD DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMING FAR 137 OPERATIONS PER CERT #5WIG WILDE AIR SERVICE WITH PILOT ETHAN BERNARD ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE DETERMINED INCIDENT WAS THE RESULT OF PILOT ERROR, FUEL EXHAUSTION, AS THE C/B ON THE PILOTS PANEL (SEE ATTACHED PHOTO) FOR THE ADD ON FUEL SINGLE POINT SYSTEM HAD POPPED LIMITING THE ONBOARDING OF FUEL AT THE LAST CHEMICAL RELOADING AND THEN SUBSEQUENT TAKE-OFF WITHOUT VISUAL CERTIFICATION OF THE REFUELING PROCESS BEING COMPLETED AS REQUESTED. THE LOW FUEL WARNING SYSTEM WAS WIRED TO THE SAME CIRCUIT BREAKER AS THE SINGLE POINT SO THE PILOT BACK-UP HAD ALSO BEEN INOP. THE HOLES IN THE ACCIDENT SCENARIO LINED UP PERFECTLY. NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS OBTAINED BY THE AIRCRAFT AND NO INJURY TO THE PILOT. TAIL WAS REMOVED FROM FUSELAGE FOR EASE OF REMOVAL FROM THE CORN FIELD HE WAS SPRAYING AND NOW HIS LANDING ZONE. PILOT HAS RECEIVED CONSOLATION ON PREFLIGHT ACTIONS AND COMPLACENCY IN THIS TYPE OF OPERATION AND NO FURTHER ACTION TO FOLLOW.