Ayres Corporation S 2R accident near Cordele, Georgia, August 25, 2016
On August 25, 2016 at about 1:15 pm local time, a 1995 Ayres Corporation S 2R, registered N3003N, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Cordele, 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
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during an agricultural application flight while flying toward the sun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2016 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Cordele, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres Corporation S 2R UNDESIGNAT, built 1995 · all S 2Rs on the register
- Registration
- N3003N · registry record · serial 2584R
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was maneuvering at low altitude, while performing an agricultural aerial application flight. He reported that he decided to fly underneath power lines and misjudged the height of the lines in relation to the airplane. He recalled that the airplane's vertical stabilizer and rudder struck the power lines. He landed the airplane in a field and the landing gear collapsed. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, left wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector that interviewed the pilot shortly after the accident, reported that the pilot stated that the sun was in his eyes as he passed under the power lines. He reported that the pilot did not immediately execute a precautionary landing after striking the lines; instead he made one more spray pass. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operations. During the course of the investigation, the NTSB Investigator-in-charge attempted to contact the pilot on multiple occasions to no avail. The pilot did not submit an NTSB Form 6120.1.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Miscellaneous/other defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Bright light › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt Whitney PT 6 A 34AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Cordele GA
- Destination: Cordele GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 pm from KACJ, 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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 19, 2016. 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's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | 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.