- Date
- July 28, 1993, 06:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Stratford, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4930XAyres S2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report August 1, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930728025929A
- Case key
- 28435
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
That the pilot misjudged the airplane's altitude. Factors relating to this accident were the pilot's fatigue and the light conditions.
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
The pilot was conducting an aerial application flight with 360 gallons of chemical aboard the airplane. The airplane collided with 50 foot high power transmission pole while the pilot was executing a low level turn. The pilot had worked about ten hours and completed six flights before beginning the accident flight.
Factual narrative
On July 28, 1993, at 0600 hours Pacific daylight time, an Ayres S2R, N4930X, collided with a power pole after takeoff from a dirt strip located about 7 miles southeast of Stratford, California. The airplane was being operated by Salyer Farms, Corcoran, California, under 14 CFR Part 137. The airplane was destroyed by the post impact fire. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
The first flight had commenced about 2000 hours on July 27, 1993. The pilot was taking off from an airstrip starting his seventh aerial application flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was loaded with 350 gallons of liquid fertilizer.
The pilot indicated he had taken off to the west and turned right about 160 degrees when he saw power transmission wires. The wires at first appeared to go below the airplane's flight path. The pilot then noticed the wires coming into view. The pilot added full power, but the airplane struck the 50-foot high pole supporting the wires. The pilot stated the airplane did not respond to the power application as it normally does.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4930X
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2132R
- Airframe hours
- 13,561
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Salyer Farms
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 12, 1993 · 58 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
- 40
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 6,073 total · 1,719 in this make and model · 5,578 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 286° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 57 °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 N4930X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.