N4003W

On February 16, 1994, at 1415 Pacific standard time, a Rockwell Ayers S2R, N4003W, crashed and burned on take off from Jackson agricultural airstrip in Winterhaven, California. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole person on board, was not injured. The aircraft was subsequently destroyed by the fire. The aircraft was conducting local area agricultural operations in accordance with 14 CFR Part 137 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. The aircraft was loaded with water and there was reportedly no hazardous cargo on board. The flight was originating at the time of the mishap.

The pilot stated that he smelled smoke in the cockpit upon takeoff and also noticed an accompanying loss of engine power. After a momentary power surge, the engine failed completely. The pilot then jettisoned his load of water and attempted to land on a nearby road, but did not have sufficient airspeed or altitude to successfully complete the approach. The pilot stated that the aircraft pancaked onto an agricultural field, bounced, and slid to a stop. The pilot said that after coming to rest he observed fire coming from both the engine and accessory compartments. The pilot exited the aircraft uninjured and attempted unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire with an on-board fire extinguisher.

The aircraft was examined by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector from the San Diego, California, Flight Standards District Office. He reported that the engine compartment fuel lines and system components were consumed in the postcrash fire. The inspector stated that the source of the in- flight fire could not be determined.