Ayres S-2R accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, June 27, 1990
On June 27, 1990 at about 12:00 pm local time, a Ayres S-2R, registered N4909X, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Pierce, Florida. 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
ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FAILURE OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP SHAFT DUE TO UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 1990 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Pierce, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S-2R
- Registration
- N4909X · no longer on the register · serial 2085R
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE MANEUVERING DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLT, THE ENG QUIT, DUE TO THE TYPE OF CHEMICAL ABOARD, THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO DUMP IT & LANDED THE ACFT IN A FIELD. THE ACFT CAUGHT FIRE & WAS DESROYED. EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED THAT THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP SHAFT FAILED. METALLURGICAL EXAM REVEALED THAT IT FAILED DUE TO OVERLOAD. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE ENG WAS OVERHAULED ABOUT 98 HRS EARLIER BUT THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP WAS NOT. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE TOTAL TIME ON THE PUMP OR THE TIME SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 6,700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,059 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 1990; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Sunniland Aircraft Sales, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:47 am from FPR, 5 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.