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CEN11CA545

2011-07-28 · Forest City, Iowa, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N331BF

Make / Model
AYRES CORPORATION S2R-G6
Year of manufacture
1992 · 19 years old at event
Engine
AIRESEARCH TPE331-5&6SER (776 hp)
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19920309
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A399A5

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's inadequate visual lookout during an aerial application run, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a windmill.

Factual narrative

The agricultural pilot had completed a spray run and pulled up to clear trees at the end of the field. The pilot reported that several trees and windmills were located at the southern end of the field and as the airplane made a climbing left turn, the right wing struck a windmill blade. The collision tore the spray boom from the airplane, which then impacted the airplane’s right side stabilizer and fuselage, causing substantial damage. The pilot was able to perform a successful precautionary landing on a nearby gravel road. During an aerial application flight, the pilot had completed a spray run and initiated a climb to clear trees at the end of the field. The pilot reported that several trees and windmills were located at the southern end of the field and as the airplane made a climbing left turn, the right wing struck a windmill blade. The collision tore the spray boom from the airplane, which then impacted the airplane’s right side stabilizer and fuselage, causing substantial damage. The pilot was able to perform a successful landing on a nearby gravel road. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-(general)-(general)-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2011_CEN11CA545.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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