- Date
- May 27, 2023, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ulysses, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4182GAyres S2R-G6
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 192622
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 pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a cable during spray operations.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while spraying a pasture at low altitude, the airplane struck a zipline cable, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that he needed to be more alert to obstacles.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4182G
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R-G6
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- G6-155
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 2,899
- Engine
- Garrett TPE331-6-252M, 750 hp, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 26, 2023 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- ULS · Ulysses, KS
- Destination
- ULS · Ulysses, KS
- Airport
- ULS · Ulysses Airport, runway 17, 6,000 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 13, 2022
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 17,300 total · 2,400 in this make and model · 17,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 5 knots
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Observed at
- ULS, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 28, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.8 MB in all.