Ayres S 2R accident near Artois, California, May 23, 2020
On May 23, 2020 at about 2:00 am local time, a 1975 Ayres S 2R, registered N5573X, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Artois, California. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines during a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2020 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Artois, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S 2R Undesignat, built 1975
- Registration
- N5573X · no longer on the register · serial 5083R
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a telephone interview, the pilot reported that, as he was landing, the airplane started to drift into nearby power lines. He initiated a go around; however, the left wing caught the power lines. The airplane impacted the ground and tumbled several times before it came to rest inverted. The fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. In a follow-up written statement, the pilot reported that during the landing on a dirt airstrip, the right-side brake failed due to a ruptured brake line. During the aborted landing, the airplane hit a power pole and wires. During the initial interview and report of no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane, the airplane was released to the owner and the brake system was not examined.
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 in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 11,500 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 126.8 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 11,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 5,999 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright C7BA SERIES; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Marysville CA at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 90°F (32°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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Initial Statement from the Pilot to the Do | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | 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.
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.