What happened
On April 9, 2024, at 14:44 Pacific daylight time, an Ayres Corporation S2R-G10, registration N40261, was involved in an accident near Likely, California. The aircraft was being operated by Jones Aviation Inc. as a Part 137 aerial application flight.
Prior to the accident, the pilot had flown the aircraft from Williams, California, to the Alturas Ranch base, a flight lasting approximately one hour and thirty minutes. After arriving at the base, the aircraft was loaded with rice for application in a nearby field located about one mile away. During the mission, the pilot completed eight loads of rice application before returning to the base to refuel. Following the refueling, the pilot departed to apply approximately seven more loads of rice.
A fuel truck operator communicated with the pilot via radio to inquire if the pilot intended to return to the base for more fuel. The pilot responded that he would complete one more application; however, the pilot did not return to the base as planned. There were no known witnesses to the accident sequence.
The accident resulted in 1 fatality.
The investigation
At the accident site, the aircraft was found resting inverted on a northerly heading along the edge of a rice field adjacent to a dirt road. The fuselage, rudder, and vertical stabilizer were partially submerged in water. Additionally, the outboard three feet of the right wing leading edge was crushed.