Ayres Corporation S2R N2249B accident near El Reno, Oklahoma

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from tower guy wires while maneuvering during an aerial application flight.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot was performing an aerial application flight when the airplane impacted radio tower guy wires about 125 ft above ground level. The wreckage path consisted of broken guy wires with yellow paint transfer consistent with the paint on the lower section of the airplane. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and autopsy and toxicology of the pilot did not reveal any evidence of physiological impairment or incapacitation.

The radio tower was depicted on the map that the pilot had with him for spraying operations, and the pilot's son stated that the pilot had flown aerial application flights over the field for several years. Witnesses to the accident stated the airplane was flying normally before it impacted the guy wires, nosed up, and immediately descend to the ground. Although aware of the tower, the pilot did not maintain sufficient clearance from the guy wires while spraying the field, which resulted in the in-flight collision with the wires.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN18FA201 for the full record.