- Date
- January 21, 2007, 09:10 local (14:10 UTC)
- Place
- Wauchula, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3209XAyres S2R-G6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Tampo FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070121001279A
- Case key
- 65177
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing and overload failure of the right landing gear strut.
Analysis
According to the pilot, during a normal soft field landing the right main gear collapsed about 20 yards into the landing roll and the airplane came to an abrupt stop. Examination of the airplane by an FAA Inspector found wrinkling of the metal skin between the front and rear spars on the right wing. Further examination found the right main gear strut fractured and separated near its attachment point to the airframe. The landing gear strut was removed and sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for further examination. The examination found that the fractures were on slant planes and had deformation adjacent to the fractures consistent with overstress fracture in bending. Corrosion deposits on the fracture surface were orange in color consistent with post-fracture oxidation. No significant preexisting corrosion was observed. The right main gear collapsed following a hard landing.
Factual narrative
On January 21, 2007, at 0910 eastern standard time, an Ayers S2R-G6, N3209X registered to and operated by Ag Flying Service, Inc., as a Title 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight, collapsed the right main landing gear during a soft field landing at the Wauchula Municipal Airport in Wauchula, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The commercial pilot reported no injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight originated from the Wauchula Municipal Airport at about 0830.
According to the pilot, during a normal soft field landing the right main gear collapsed about 20 yards into the landing roll and the airplane came to an abrupt stop. The pilot egressed without injury.
Examination of the airplane by an FAA Inspector found wrinkling of the metal skin between the front and rear spars on the right wing. Further examination found the right main gear strut fractured and separated near its attachment point to the airframe. The landing gear strut was removed and sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for further examination. The examination found that the fractures were on slant planes and had deformation adjacent to the fractures consistent with overstress fracture in bending. Corrosion deposits on the fracture surface were orange in color consistent with post-fracture oxidation. No significant preexisting corrosion was observed.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3209X
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R-G6
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- G6-128
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-6-252M, 715 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- AG Flying Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2006
- Departed
- CHN · Wauchula, FL
- Destination
- CHN · Wauchula, FL
- Airport
- KCHN · Wauchula Municipal Airport, runway 36, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2006
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 18,000 total · 4,800 in this make and model · 18,000 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- BOW
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.