Ayres Corporation S2R-G6 accident near Vienna, Georgia, March 31, 2021
On March 31, 2021 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1996 Ayres Corporation S2R-G6, registered N3299X, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Vienna, Georgia (Private 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
The pilot’s improper decision to attempt a takeoff with a quartering tailwind and his failure to reject the takeoff in a timely manner, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2021 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Vienna, Georgia · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres Corporation S2R-G6, built 1996 · all S2R-G6s on the register
- Registration
- N3299X · no longer on the register · serial G6-134
- 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 reported that he was taking off from his private airstrip with a left quartering tailwind for an aerial application flight. Due to payload and wind conditions, flying airspeed was not attained prior to his anticipated liftoff point. The nose of the airplane began to veer to the left, and he attempted to correct the drift. He passed his decision point and attempted to avoid a ditch in his path. The airplane impacted the northern bank of the ditch, shearing off the landing gear and damaging the propeller and spray system. After the airplane came to rest, the pilot egressed and a postaccident fire destroyed the wreckage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Runway excursion during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,414 hours in all; 4,479 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,171 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 7, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Honeywell TPE331-6 (turboprop); 5,171 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,900 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from ACJ, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on August 2, 2021. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Correspondence - Pilot Written Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Accident Site Diagram | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Excerpts - Maintenance Records | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N3299X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.