Ayres Corporation S2R T34 accident near Buckeye, Arizona, September 9, 2014
On September 9, 2014 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1989 Ayres Corporation S2R T34, registered N3097F, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Buckeye, Arizona. 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
A partial loss of engine power due to water contamination of the fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2014 · about 5:00 pm 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 Corporation S2R T34 T34, built 1989 · all S2R T34s on the register
- Registration
- N3097F · no longer on the register · serial T34-114DC
- 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 operator reported that the commercial pilot had conducted agricultural flights in the airplane for about 2 to 3 hours earlier on the morning of the accident without problems. During the initial climb for the accident flight, about 30 ft above ground level, the engine lost partial power. Subsequently, the pilot conducted an emergency landing straight ahead, and the airplane descended and impacted a field, during which the wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Fuel samples were taken from the fuel tanks and the operator's fuel supply tank. Testing of the samples revealed that the fuel from both the airplane's fuel tanks and the operator's supply tank were essentially water. It is likely that the loss of engine power was due to water contamination of the fuel.
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
- Fuel contamination during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 300 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W Canada PT6A-60A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Farm AG Enterprises LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Buckeye AZ at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Buckeye AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 28.89 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from KGBN, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on July 24, 2019. 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 | International Notification | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - Operator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Fuel Analysis Results | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Fuel Sample Test Email | 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.
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.