N8960QAyres S-2R · 1978

On November 3, 2021, about 1130 Pacific daylight time, a Thrush Ayers Corporation S-2R airplane, N8960Q, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Shafter, California. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated by Inland Aviation, Inc., as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 repositioning flight prior to conducting aerial application activity.

A witness who spoke with the pilot before the flight stated that the pilot said the fog had cleared for a few moments and that he had missed his “window to leave.” About 20-30 minutes later he heard the pilot’s airplane start and take off. Another witness who spoke with the pilot reported that the pilot had been in and out of the office to use the phone and to check weather. His last comment to the witness was, “…you just have to get high enough over the top of the weather to get in the clear.” A third witness who was at his house about 6 miles west of the airport stated that around 1220 the visibility was 1/2 to 1 mile, with patchy fog and low ceilings of about 400 ft above ground level (agl).

According to the post-accident meteorology report, weather conditions along the accident pilot’s flight path was IMC. The accident pilot’s flight in IMC might have led to his inability to see outside visual references. When there are no outside visual references, pilots must rely on use of flight instruments to understand their position in space. If a pilot does not reference the aircraft flight instruments and there are no outside visual references, the pilot might experience spatial disorientation. In this case, the aircraft was not equipped with equipment that would be necessary for IFR flight, and therefore the accident pilot likely did not have all the required flight instruments to adequately assess his position in flight in IMC, and he likely experienced spatial disorientation. It is likely the accident pilot was not referencing his flight instruments or was experiencing an increase in workload because of spatial disorientation, and he did not recover the aircraft from its descent into terrain.

According to the operator, the purpose of the flight to New Cuyama Airport (L88), California, was to load the accident airplane with dry seed to disperse at a farm near L88. The pilot attempted to depart Shafter Airport-Minter Field (MIT), Shafter, California, earlier in the morning but had canceled the flight due to the overcast conditions at MIT. The pilot departed on the accident flight about 1130.

MIT was situated at an elevation of 424 ft above mean sea level (msl). It was equipped with three paved runways. The runway used, designated 8/26, which measured 3,680 ft by 60 ft, was not equipped with an air traffic control tower.

Postaccident examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted level, fallow terrain about 1 1/4 miles northwest of runway 26 at MIT. The debris field was about 800 ft in length on a westerly heading. The airplane impacted terrain and collided with an irrigation standpipe located near the middle of the debris field. A postimpact fire ensued.

The single-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear airplane was configured for aerial application operations with an aerial spray system. The airplane was not equipped with any instruments required for instrument flight.

The accident pilot did not request weather information from Leidos Flight Service on the day of the accident. A search of archived ForeFlight information indicated that the accident pilot did not request weather information from ForeFlight on the day of the accident.

The accident site was in an area of relatively high surface pressure, calm wind conditions, and moist surface conditions. In addition, two temperature inversions were located above the accident site, one inversion below 3,000 ft msl and another inversion below 5,000 ft msl.

At 1125, an automated weather observing system (AWOS) located at MIT, reported wind from 160° at 3 knots, visibility was 1/2 statute mile, overcast ceiling at 200 ft agl, temperature 14°C, dew point temperature of 14°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.20 inches of mercury.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-17 (GOES-17) provided visible imagery from 1130 PDT indicating cloud cover above the accident site and southeastward towards Meadows Field Airport (BFL), Bakersfield, California. The cloud cover was decreasing in areal coverage with time.

Figure 1-GOES-17 visible image at 1130 PDT.

KBFL was the closest airport to the accident site (9 miles southeast of the accident site) with an National Weather Service Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF). The KBFL TAF that was valid at the time of the accident expected calm wind, 1/2 mile visibility, fog, and an overcast ceiling at 400 ft agl.