Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
12E Airstrip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ligurta, Arizona 85356
Tuesady, August 31, 2010 4:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the owner of the aerial application company, the single engine airplane was loaded with 430 gallons (approx 3440 lbs) of liquid insecticide for its mission. The airplane departed from a satellite airstrip about 0400 mountain standard time (MST), in order to spray an agricultural field located approximately 5 miles east of the airstrip. When the airplane failed to return to the airstrip at the expected time, the loader became concerned. He telephoned the owner, and the owner initiated a search for the airplane. About 0545, the wreckage was located, approximately 125 feet above, and 1/2 mile to the west of, the field being sprayed, on rocky, rising terrain. Examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that airplane struck the terrain in a relatively level attitude, while on an approximate track of northwest, and came to rest facing southwest. The commercial pilot stated that he completed several passes on the field, and was maneuvering the airplane for another pass, when the wind shifted. The airplane was unable to out climb, and subsequently impacted, the terrain. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The pilot reported that he had about 28,500 total hours of flight experience, including 1,388 hours in the accident airplane make and model, and he had been conducting agricultural spraying in the area for the previous 4 months. When asked by the FAA inspector, the pilot stated that if he could change anything about the flight, he would have applied the agent on north-south tracks instead of east-west tracks, in order to provide more clearance from the rising terrain to the west. US Naval Observatory data indicated that local sunrise was about 0612 MST. The automated weather observation at an airport located approximately 20 miles west of the accident site included winds from 020 degrees at 3 knots; visibility 10 miles; clear skies; temperature 24 degrees C; and a dew point of 12 degrees C.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to orient the application tracks so that they did not provide the maximum possible clearance from the rising terrain, and, the predawn lighting conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/31/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 430 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Ligurta |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85356 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 324419N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1142056W |
| Event Location Airport | 12E Airstrip |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 6 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 200 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 455 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | NYL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 200 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.82 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27731 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NTSB Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 2 2010 4:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6125X |
| NTSB Number | WPR10CA439 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AYRES |
| Aircraft Model | S2R-G10 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | G10-105 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 30 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4970 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Morris Equipment |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Yuma |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85364 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Morris Equipment |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Yuma |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 85364 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Yuma |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 400 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Yuma |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 2 2010 4:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |