Pilot Debrief

Ayres S2R near Jackson, TN — 2020-09-22

Final reportERA20LA333
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Date
2020-09-22
Location
Jackson, TN, USA
Aircraft
Ayres S2R
Registration
N3298M
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to adequately monitor his fuel supply, resulting in fuel exhaustion, a total loss of engine power, and a forced landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was spreading crop seed on a field about 150-200 ft above ground level (agl) when the engine lost all power. He selected a road between trees and a powerline for a forced landing. The airplane reportedly stalled about 10 ft above the road, touched down hard, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid on its belly until the left wing struck a tree and the airplane came to a stop, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. Examination of the wreckage revealed no fuel in ether fuel tank, no fuel spillage, and only contained trace amounts of fuel in the fuel lines. At the time of the accident, the airplane had been in operation for about 3 hours, which the owner reported was the airplane’s maximum fuel endurance. The pilot reported that he normally used a cockpit-mounted timer to keep track of the airplane’s fuel endurance but did not normally fly the accident airplane, which was not equipped with this feature.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel levels before starting the flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 7 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents7

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