Ayres S2R accident near Stratford, California, July 28, 1993
On July 28, 1993 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Ayres S2R, registered N4930X, was destroyed in an accident near Stratford, California. 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
THAT THE PILOT MISJUDGED THE AIRPLANE'S ALTITUDE. FACTORS RELATING TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S FATIGUE AND THE LIGHT CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1993 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Stratford, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R
- Registration
- N4930X · no longer on the register · serial 2132R
- 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 WAS CONDUCTING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WITH 360 GALLONS OF CHEMICAL ABOARD THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH 50 FOOT HIGH POWER TRANSMISSION POLE WHILE THE PILOT WAS EXECUTING A LOW LEVEL TURN. THE PILOT HAD WORKED ABOUT TEN HOURS AND COMPLETED SIX FLIGHTS BEFORE BEGINNING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,073 hours in all; 1,719 in this make and model; 59 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 5,578 as pilot in command; 1,008 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,561 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 12, 1993; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 286° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°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 N4930X 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.