History of Flight
On June 2, 2015, about 1040 Pacific daylight time, an Ayres Corporation S2R-T34, N4018Q, departed controlled flight and collided with terrain during a low pass in a field near Blythe, California. The aircraft was being operated by Morris Ag Air & Sons, Inc. under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The local aerial application flight had departed about 1000. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed.
A spotter employed by the operator, who was in radio contact with the pilot, witnessed the accident. He reported that the pilot departed about 0730 and had already sprayed one load of chemical. The pilot then reloaded and sprayed two fields (P4 and P5) until the hopper was empty. The spotter drove ahead to the next field (P2) and expected the airplane to reload at the airstrip before spraying P2. The pilot transmitted asking about wind conditions at the field; the spotter replied that there was a light wind from the southwest.
The spotter observed the airplane approaching from the south, clearing powerlines on the south perimeter of the field. The airplane then pitched nose-high, consistent with normal operation to push chemical toward the spread doors. The airplane climbed in a near vertical ascent to about 500 feet above ground level, then transitioned into a nose-low vertical descent and collided with the field.
The operator stated the pilot was likely en route back to the airstrip to reload fertilizer when the accident occurred; he would not have been applying in that field area.
Personnel Information
FAA records indicated the pilot, age 47, held commercial pilot and certified flight instructor certificates with ratings for single-engine and multi-engine land and instrument flight. A second-class medical certificate was issued on November 18, 2014, with a limitation requiring glasses for near vision. Personal flight records were not recovered. On his last medical application, the pilot reported 5,000 total flight hours, with 300 hours in the preceding 6 months.
Aircraft Information
The low-wing, tailwheel-equipped, fixed-gear airplane was an Ayres Corporation (Thrush) S2R-T34, serial number T34-021, manufactured in 1980. It was powered by a Pratt and Whitney PT6A-34AG engine driving a Hartzell HC-B3TN-3D constant-speed propeller. No maintenance records were recovered.
Meteorological Information
The nearest weather observation station, located 3 miles west of the accident site in Blythe, reported about 10 minutes after the accident: clear sky, surface wind variable at 4 knots. No unusual meteorological phenomena were reported by the station or observed by witnesses.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The main wreckage was found at approximately 33°35′19″N, 114°39′59″W, elevation about 260 feet mean sea level, in an agricultural field. The entire wreckage was in the immediate vicinity, about 3 miles west of the airport at the southeast corner of a field bordered by an east-west paved road to the south and a north-south dirt road to the east. Between the accident site and the road, a dirt area contained powerlines parallel to the road. South of the road was a 30-foot-wide east-west irrigation canal, with the south bank bordered by trees.
The wings came to rest inverted, still affixed to the fuselage. Leading edges of both wings were uniformly crushed aft, skin folded over itself in an accordion appearance. A ground scar matching the shape of the leading edges was under the wreckage, oriented parallel to the road and powerlines. A crater in the center of the scar was about 4 feet deep, containing portions of propeller blades. The empennage was partially intact and "scorpioned" forward over the wings. The rudder, attached to the vertical stabilizer, was intact. Horizontal stabilizer and elevator control surfaces remained attached. All control surfaces were accounted for.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy by the County of Riverside Sheriff-Coroner concluded death resulted from injuries sustained in the accident. The FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute conducted toxicological tests, which were negative for cyanide, ethanol, carbon monoxide, and drugs.
Tests and Research
The airplane was equipped with a Satloc M3 DGPS recording device. Returns recorded every 2 seconds from 0954:45 to 1039:32 showed the airplane flew over several fields, then exited the field area heading north at 1039:10. During the last 20 seconds, the airplane maintained an altitude of about 400–420 feet above ground level, maneuvering at 110–120 knots. The accident site was about 1,350 feet north of the last recorded hit.
After recovery, control continuity was established from cockpit controls to control surfaces. Wings had been removed; separation points were jagged. Rod ends were bent at fracture points. Propeller blades that remained attached were bent and twisted. A fuel sample from Morris Ag Air's fuel truck was tested; the analysis fell within correct specifications.