Buckeye, AZ, USA
N3097F
AYRES CORPORATION S2R T34
The operator reported that the commercial pilot had conducted agricultural flights in the airplane for about 2 to 3 hours earlier on the morning of the accident without problems. During the initial climb for the accident flight, about 30 ft above ground level, the engine lost partial power. Subsequently, the pilot conducted an emergency landing straight ahead, and the airplane descended and impacted a field, during which the wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Fuel samples were taken from the fuel tanks and the operator's fuel supply tank. Testing of the samples revealed that the fuel from both the airplane's fuel tanks and the operator's supply tank were essentially water. It is likely that the loss of engine power was due to water contamination of the fuel.
On September 9, 2014, about 1000 mountain standard time, an Ayres S2R-T34 airplane, N3097F, was substantially damaged during an off-airport emergency landing, following a loss of engine power during the takeoff initial climb from a private agricultural airstrip, about 30 miles west of Buckeye, Arizona. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Farm AG Enterprises, as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that was originating at the time. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), a company representative reported that the pilot had flown the airplane for about 2-3 hours that morning, and no problems with the airplane had been reported. He said the pilot told him that during the accident takeoff, all systems were normal as the airplane lifted off the ground. Upon reaching about 30 ft above the ground, the engine's rpm dropped as though someone had pulled the power lever to idle. The pilot flew the airplane straight ahead, and it descended into a field. During the off-airport landing, the airplane sustained structural damage to the wings and fuselage. During a post-accident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air safety inspector no mechanical anomalies were found. Fuel samples were taken from the airplane and the operator's fuel supply tank and sent to an independent laboratory for testing. According to the laboratory director, the fuel samples taken from both the airplane's fuel system and the operator's supply tank were essentially water, and there was insufficient fuel in the samples to test. The operator/pilot did not submit the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Form (NTSB 6120.1) to the NTSB.
A partial loss of engine power due to water contamination of the fuel.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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