Thrush Aircraft INC S2R-T34 accident near Pleasant Grove, California, May 11, 2011
On May 11, 2011 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Thrush Aircraft INC S2R-T34, registered N510CW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Pleasant Grove, California (West Catlet Private Airstrip airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 2011 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pleasant Grove, California · West Catlet Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Thrush Aircraft INC S2R-T34 · all S2R-T34s on the register
- Registration
- N510CW · no longer on the register · serial T34-277
- 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 pilot stated that he had just completed spraying a field and was landing to the north with what he estimated to be a 12-mile-per-hour tailwind. As the airplane touched down on the main wheels with the tailwheel off the ground, the airplane began to veer to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the airplane back toward the runway, but it continued to veer left towards a berm. He added full power to attempt to abort the landing, but collided with a trailer near the departure end of the runway. The nearest weather reporting station, located about 8.5 nautical miles south of the accident site, reported wind from 180 degrees at 16 knots at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal flight. The pilot stated that the reloading and refueling equipment is located at the north end of the airstrip and that they always land to the north and take off to the south to save time.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 8,428 hours in all; 879 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 95 in the last 30 days; 8,305 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 30, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 11,073 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A SERIES (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Farm Air Flying Services Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: pvt Pleasant Grove CA at 7:45 pm
- Destination: pvt Pleasant Grove CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,400 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 166° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from SMF, 85 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR11CA222.