Ayres Corporation S2R G10 accident near Marysville, California, May 22, 2018
On May 22, 2018 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Ayres Corporation S2R G10, registered N32064, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Marysville, California. 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
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a truck while on final approach after the airplane encountered a downdraft, which resulted in the subsequent failure of the right main landing gear and loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2018 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marysville, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres Corporation S2R G10 G10 · all S2R G10s on the register
- Registration
- N32064 · registry record · serial G10-113
- 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 commercial pilot reported that he had been applying rice seed to a field throughout the day and was returning to land on a dirt airstrip. During the approach, the airplane encountered a downdraft, and the right main landing gear (MLG) impacted the top of a seed dispensing truck that was positioned near the approach end of the airstrip. The pilot continued the landing, and upon touchdown, the right MLG collapsed, the airplane veered right, crossed over a ditch, and then came to rest in a field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right MLG attachment point to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot landed to the north and reported that the wind was gusting to about 8 to 15 knots.
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
- Other weather encounter during approach
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all; 12,000 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 25,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 25, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garrett Tup-331-10- (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O52 Yuba City CA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: Marysville CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 11:58 pm from KBAB, 113 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on November 1, 2018. 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, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N32064 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.