BURLEY, ID, USA
N8542
AYRES S2R
JUST AS THE AERIAL APPLICATION PILOT WAS COMPLETING A SPRAY RUN, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THERE WAS NO SUITABLE LANDING SITE AVAILABLE, AND THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING IN A NEARBY FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A TREE LINE THAT RAN ACROSS THE FIELD. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE CARBURETOR MOUNTING BOLTS HAD COME LOOSE, ALLOWING THE FUEL MIXTURE TO BECOME TOO LEAN.
On June 2, 1994, approximately 1530 mountain daylight time (MDT), an Ayres S2R, N8542, impacted trees during a forced landing seven miles east of Burley, Idaho. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant of the airplane, received no injuries, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The agricultural application flight, which departed a county road approximately 1430 MDT, was in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation. The pilot said that the engine lost power as he started a pull-up from an application run. He executed a forced landing in an adjacent field, and impacted a line of trees during the landing roll. It was later discovered that the carburetor mounting bolts were loose, and the carburetor was not firmly seated against its mounting flange.
A LOOSE CARBURETOR. FACTORS INCLUDE NO SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR MAKING A FORCED LANDING, AND TREES IN THE FIELD WHERE THE FORCED LANDING TOOK PLACE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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