- Date
- March 23, 1992, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bakersfield, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N59SKAyres S2R-T34
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 17, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19920323007319A
- Case key
- 27412
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
A catastrophic wing spar failure precipitated by hidden corrosion and the restricted view of the area of corrosion by the airplane's wing structure.
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
Witnesses observed parts fall from the airplane during the initial swath run. As the airplane entered a right climbing turn to negotiate 30-FT high telephone wires, it entered into a left wing-over and nosed down into the ground. The left wing spar had separated, and the fractured surfaces disclosed evidence of corrosion. The 16-FT long lower steel spar cap had separated from the aluminum wing spar web along the entire length. Fracture surfaces in the huck lockbolt type fasteners on the spar disclosed evidence of corrosion. The area of the huck lockbolt corrosion is not noticeable by visual inspection. The corrosion is masked by the steel spar cap. None of the huck lockbolt collars were loose or missing. The airplane had completed an 100-HR inspection 71 hrs before the accident. At the time of the inspection there were no discrepancies noted with the wing spar.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59SK
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R-T34
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T34-008
- Airframe hours
- 10,781
- Engine
- P&W PT6-34, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Old River Crop Dusting, Inc
- Registered owner
- Old River Crop Dusting, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 9, 1992 · 71 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
- 48
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 22,000 total · 14,000 in this make and model · 21,500 as pilot in command · 230 in the last 90 days · 135 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.