- Date
- June 21, 1988, 07:20 local (14:20 UTC)
- Place
- Firebaugh, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5512XAyres S2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 7, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880621022459A
- Case key
- 25746
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 an agricultural spraying run, the airplane was required to fly under power lines to complete the job. The airplane was seen flying in the direction of the wires. The airplane initially contacted a levee with the wing and then collided with a power pole. The airplane came to rest several hundred feet from the initial impact. The airplane was consumed by fire. There were no reported mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5512X
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1712R
- Airframe hours
- 5,299
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-34AG, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Combs, Michael L.
- Registered owner
- Vance Ag Craft, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 8, 1988 · 84 hours before
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,902 total · 1,144 in this make and model · 1,556 as pilot in command · 210 in the last 90 days · 153 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 4 knots
- 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 N5512X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.