- Date
- August 31, 2023, 19:15 local (Sep 1, 2023, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Three Rocks, CA · open field off end of private farm strip
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N61373Ayres S2R-T34
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20230831012409A
- Case key
- 193010
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 airplane’s exceedance of the critical angle of attack, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Findings · 4
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
The pilot reported that the airplane’s hopper had been loaded with 300 gallons of water. During the takeoff roll, the airplane did not accelerate as expected so he initiated the emergency dump procedure to jettison the water. The airplane became airborne and the pilot maintained a high angle of attack to climb over trees near the end of the runway. The airplane subsequently experienced an aerodynamic stall, descended into an adjacent field, and impacted terrain. The left wing, right aileron, and elevator sustained substantial damage. The pilot said he suspected the airplane performance was affected by density altitude and he reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61373
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R-T34
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T34-216
- Built
- 1996
- Airframe hours
- 14,692
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6-34, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 11, 2023 · 64 hours before
- Departed
- 43CN · Corcoran, CA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- N/A · none - private farm strip
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 23, 2022
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 7,610 total · 40 in this make and model · 7,450 as pilot in command · 230 in the last 90 days · 51 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.63 inHg
- Observed at
- KNLC, 19 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KNLC 010156Z 24015KT 10SM FEW060 FEW200 34/00 A2963 RMK AO2 SLP033 FU FEW060 RH/11 T03390000=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.