Ayres Corporation S2R-600 accident near Kahlotus, Washington, November 2, 2011
On November 2, 2011 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Ayres Corporation S2R-600, registered N1206S, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Kahlotus, Washington. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the ground due to his distraction with programming a global positioning system receiver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 2011 · about 7:50 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Kahlotus, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres Corporation S2R-600 · all S2R-600s on the register
- Registration
- N1206S · registry record · serial 2470R
- 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 was conducting an aerial application flight; he had just completed an application and was proceeding to another nearby field. He diverted his attention to reprogram the cockpit global positioning system (GPS) receiver and failed to retrim the airplane with nose-up trim. While the pilot was reprogramming the GPS receiver, the airplane entered a shallow descent and impacted the top of a small hill.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Awareness of condition
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 22,000 hours in all; 11,000 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 10, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,491 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 23, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garrett Type 331-252M (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Faunce Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Kahlotus WA
- Destination: Kahlotus WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 7, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1 - on Scene Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1206S on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Ayres Corporation S-2 243 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Ayres Corporation 243 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Garrett Type 331-252M · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,713 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,663 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR12CA026.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.