Ayres S2R-G10 incident near Munday, Texas, May 8, 1997
On May 8, 1997 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Ayres S2R-G10, registered N3298Y, suffered minor damage in an incident near Munday, Texas (Munday Municipal airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
blockage of both fuel lines from the left wing tank to the header tank by silicone rubber contaminants (foreign material), which resulted in fuel starvation. A related factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 1997 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Munday, Texas · Munday Municipal · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R-G10
- Registration
- N3298Y · registry record · serial G10-118
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial takeoff climb, the agricultural airplane's engine lost power, and the pilot executed a forced landing in a plowed field. The airplane nosed down in the soft ground. Examination of the airplane by the operator revealed that the right wing fuel tank was empty, and the left tank contained approximately 80 gallons of fuel. Both fuel lines leading from the left wing tank to the fuselage header tank were blocked by pellets of what appeared to be silicone rubber. Chemical analysis confirmed that the pellets were composed of silicone rubber. The 1995 model airplane had accumulated 612 hours total time. The operator expressed the opinion that the silicone rubber might have been applied to the gaskets of the wing fuel tank access panels during manufacture of the airplane; however, a representative of the manufacturer stated that the company did not use silicone rubber to seal fuel tanks. An inspection of the manufacturer's production line by FAA personnel revealed no evidence that silicone rubber was being used to seal fuel tanks. The source of the silicone rubber contamination 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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 8,451 hours in all; 612 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 612 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 1997; 4 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-10 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 37F at 6:10 pm
- Destination: 15F Haskell TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N3298Y 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.