Ayres S2R accident near Burlington, Colorado, July 18, 2011
On July 18, 2011 at about 11:55 am local time, a Ayres S2R, registered N70216, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Burlington, Colorado (Kit Carson County Airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2011 · about 11:55 am local time
- Place
- Burlington, Colorado · Kit Carson County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R T34
- Registration
- N70216 · no longer on the register · serial T-34-335
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on a 2-mile final approach when its turbine engine lost total power. The pilot said that he did not look at the engine gauges and that there were no aural warnings. He made a forced landing to a field, and the airplane bounced and came to rest just forward of the first touch down spot. A postaccident examination of the airframe, available fuel supply, engine, and components revealed no preimpact anomalies or mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded the engine from operating. The source of the power loss could not be determined.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 23,067 hours in all; 178 in this make and model; 221 in the last 90 days; 2,215 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 171 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 11, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 10,032 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Stratton Equity Co-Op
The flight
- Departed from: ITR Burlington CO at 11:20 am
- Destination: ITR Burlington CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from KITR, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N70216 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN11LA487.