Ayres S2R accident near Shellman, Georgia, October 18, 2019
On October 18, 2019 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 2013 Ayres S2R, registered N762BF, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Shellman, Georgia. 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 partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2019 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Shellman, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R G10, built 2013
- Registration
- N762BF · no longer on the register · serial G10-177
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed a private field with about 120 gallons of fuel on board and performed an agricultural aerial application. About 1 hour into the flight, while returning to his home base, the engine began surging “as if it were starving of fuel.” He performed a precautionary landing in a pasture, and during the landing rollout he ground looped the airplane to avoid an obstacle. During the ground loop the right main and tailwheel landing gear collapsed. After the airplane came to rest, a fire emanating from the engine nacelle consumed most of the fuselage. A follow up examination of the wreckage was not performed, as it was prematurely sold before the examination could take place. Thus, the reason for the engine surging could not be determined based on the available information.
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 (partial) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
- Abrupt maneuver during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 19,500 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 20,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 21, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,788 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 21, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 10,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Honeywell TPE331-511M (turboprop); 12,731 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Shellman GA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 4GA8 Arlington GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from ABY, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 4, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Information from FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.