- Date
- June 11, 2004, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Eagle Lake, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3104SAyres S-2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20040611012169A
- Case key
- 59428
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 partial collapse of the left main landing gear as a result of a failure of the fuselage structure due to corrosion.
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.
Analysis
During takeoff roll on runway 17 (a 3,801 feet long and 60 feet wide asphalt runway), the airplane "pulled" to the left and veered off the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left main landing gear partially collapsed. The fuselage tubular structure failed near a previous weld repair that was not documented in the maintenance records. The fracture surfaces displayed evidence of corrosion.
Factual narrative
On June 11, 2004, at 1030 central daylight time, an Ayres S-2R single-engine agricultural airplane, N3104S, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain following a loss of control during take-off at Eagle Lake Airport (ELA) near Eagle Lake, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to Farm and Ranch Aerial Service Inc., of Wharton, Texas, and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to the pilot's statement in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), during takeoff roll on runway 17 (a 3,801 feet long and 60 feet wide asphalt runway), the airplane "pulled" to the left and veered off the runway. The main landing gear entered soft terrain, and the aircraft nosed into the ground. The aircraft came to rest upright on the left side of the runway.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the accident site, revealed that the left main landing gear partially collapsed. Inspection revealed the fuselage tubular structure failed near a previous weld repair that was not documented in the maintenance records, and the fracture surfaces displayed evidence of corrosion. In addition, the left wing main spar and the left aileron were wrinkled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3104S
- Reported as
- Ayres S-2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R1340-025
- Engine
- Garrett TPE331-6, 840 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Farm and Ranch Aerial Service Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- ELA · Eagle Lake, TX
- Airport
- ELA · Eagle Lake Airport, runway 17, 3,801 × 60 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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2004
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 14,000 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- SGR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3104S · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.