Ayres S2R-600 accident near Buckeye, Arizona, April 28, 2000
On April 28, 2000 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Ayres S2R-600, registered N4018P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Buckeye, Arizona. 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 directional control of the aircraft. A factor in the accident was the uneven runway surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2000 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Buckeye, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R-600
- Registration
- N4018P · registry record · serial 2547R
- 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 aircraft veered off the runway and collided with ground obstacles during landing. The pilot reported that he was landing with about 400 gallons of pesticide. He explained that the runway was half asphalt and half dirt. There was a bump in the runway where the two surfaces came together. The pilot reported that he hit the bump and the airplane veered to the left. He was unable to straighten out the airplane and added power to attempt to become airborne again, but did not have sufficient time. The airplane left the runway, hit a berm and flew over a concrete irrigation ditch that ran parallel to the runway, and then came to rest in an alfalfa field. The landing gear separated during the sequence.
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: 14,500 hours in all; 5,200 in this make and model; 1,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 8,100 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Randy Goering INC
The flight
- Departed from: MC85 at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,500 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 163°F (73°C), dew point 97°F (36°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from PHX, 30 miles away
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.
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.