Ayres S2RT-34RE accident near Buckeye, Arizona, March 25, 1998
On March 25, 1998 at about 1:45 am local time, a Ayres S2RT-34RE, registered N4010X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Buckeye, Arizona. 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
The incorrect turbine blades installed on the engine, the fractured compressor turbine blades and separation of the blade, and the improper maintenance installation of the incorrect CT blades by the repair station. A factor in the accident was the inadequate quality control procedures by both the shipper of the CT blades and the maintenance facility which installed the blades.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 1998 · about 1:45 am 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 S2RT-34RE
- Registration
- N4010X · registry record · serial 6024
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
An Ayres S2R airplane lost power and crashed following a landing attempt to a field. The subsequent disassembly of the engine revealed that the compressor turbine disk was intact, but that all of the CT blades were fractured across the airfoils adjacent to the blade root platform. The Canadian Transportation Safety Board's engineering branch found that there were 55 blades of one part number and 3 blades of another part number which were not authorized for use in a PT6A-34AG engine. The three unapproved blades had a different heat code than was approved for this engine. One of the unapproved blades revealed a fatigue fracture on the surface as seen by the scanning electron microscope. The blades were manufactured by Doncaster, under a FAA Parts Manufacturing Approval as an alternate part for PWC CT blades. They were then packaged and shipped to Superior Air Parts. Superior Air parts would repackage the blades in Superior Air parts packaging prior to reshipping the blades. Doncaster's stated that Superior was the sole distributor of the Doncaster blades. Both the quality control standards at Superior Air Parts and Air Force Turbine Services did not notice the three incorrect CT blades, which were shipped from Superior Air Parts and subsequently, installed on the engine. Additionally, when the engine underwent repair work and these blades were installed, the new CT blades were installed and the radial tip clearance between the blades and segments was 0.0025 inches less than the minimum required by the PT6 engine manual.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,600 hours in all; 2,800 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,708 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-34 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BXK Buckeye AZ at 11:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 90°F (32°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.