- Date
- March 24, 2008, 19:00 local (Mar 25, 2008, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Blythe, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5674XAyres S2R-600
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080324013999A
- Case key
- 67715
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 terrain clearance. Contributing factors were the dusk light condition and the pressure the pilot felt to accomplish the flight.
Findings · 5
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
According to the pilot, at the end of a day of aerial application flights, he received a call from a customer who wanted a small field sprayed that evening. The airplane was not equipped with lights for night spraying; however, the pilot felt there was still enough light to safely accomplish the 10-minute job. The flight departed from the pilot's private airstrip at dusk and proceeded to the job area, which was flat terrain with no obstructions except canal banks at each end of the field. The first of three intended spray runs was completed without incident. At the end of the second spray run, the pilot did not see the canal bank at the end of the field. The airplane impacted the canal bank, bounced into the air, glided for about 1/4 mile, hit a second canal bank, nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented "by not allowing anyone, including myself, to pressure me into doing something that I knew was a substantially higher than normal risk for very little benefit."
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, at the end of a day of aerial application flights, he received a call from a customer who wanted a small field sprayed that evening. The airplane was not equipped with lights for night spraying; however, the pilot felt there was still enough light to safely accomplish the 10-minute job. The flight departed from the pilot's private airstrip at dusk and proceeded to the job area, which was flat terrain with no obstructions except canal banks at each end of the field. The first of three intended spray runs was completed without incident. At the end of the second spray run, the pilot did not see the canal bank at the end of the field. The airplane impacted the canal bank, bounced into the air, glided for about 1/4 mile, hit a second canal bank, nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented "by not allowing anyone, including myself, to pressure me into doing something that I knew was a substantially higher than normal risk for very little benefit."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5674X
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R-600
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2433R
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R1340, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Cyr Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Blythe, CA
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
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 23,000 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
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 N5674X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.