# Accident 19980606012419A: Ayres S2R, Hondo, TX, June 6, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 6, 1998, 19:58 local time - Place: Hondo, TX - Airport: Hondo Municipal Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Location: 29.3503° N, 99.1508° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.3503&lon=-99.1508&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1765S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1765S-2012-10-15) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Aero Commander S2R (registry code 0143022, https://openairdocs.org/model/aero-commander-s2r) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340 series (registry code 52016, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r1340-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AYRES S2R - Reported engine: PWA R1340AN1 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 1,500 total, 1,185 in this make and model, 400 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA257](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA257) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980606012419A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKN CIRCUMSTANCES, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED, HONDO, TX. (.4) THE AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE STALLED DURING THE TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 04. A WITNESS REPORTED HEARING 'THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE POWER BEING APPLIED AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER FROM THE STALL.' THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A POTATO FIELD IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, IN A NEARLY WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE, AT A HIGH RATE OF DECENT, COMING TO REST IN A WESTERLY HEADING, IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE WAS SEVERELY COMPRESSED. THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED FROM 040 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 20 KNOTS. A PILOT HOME-BASED AT THE AIRPORT REPORTED THAT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT HE HAD EXPERIENCED 'NOTICEABLE WIND SHEAR IN THE AREA THROUGHOUT' ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT ADDED THAT HIS EMPLOYER ELECTED TO DISCONTINUE FLIGHT TESTING OF THE UNMANNED VEHICLE THEY WERE TESTING EARLIER THAT DAY DUE TO AN APPROACHING FRONT AND THE UNSTABLE AIR. A TRANSIENT PILOT THAT FLEW A PIPER CHEROKEE INTO THE AIRPORT ABOUT AN HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, ALSO REPORTED 'WIND INDUCED TURBULEN CE WHILE ON HIS APPROACH WHEN WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE GROUND.' (-23) ON JUNE 5, 1998, AN AERO COMMANDER (AY-S2R) AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE, N1765S, OWNED BY RUSTY'S FLYING SERVICE AND OPERATED BY BEV RUSSELL LINDEMAN WAS DESTROYED UPON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN DURING AN APPROACH TO THE HONDO AIRPORT AT HONDO, TEXAS. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THERE WAS NO FIRE AND ONLY MINIMUM DAMAGE TO THE POTATO FIELD, BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE "STALLED DURING A TURN" TO RUNWAY 04. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE WITH THE WINGS NEARLY LEVEL. THE AIRCRAFT AT IMPACT WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. THE AIRPLANE FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO THE REAR OF THE ENGINE WAS SEVERELY COMPROMISED. THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED FROM 040 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS, WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 20 KNOTS. MR. JOHN QUILLING, A CHASE PLANE PILOT FOR ALLIANT TECHNOLOGY, STATED THAT HE HAD EXPERIENCED NOTICEABLE WIND SHEAR IN THE AREA THROUGHOUT THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT ALLIANT TECHNOLOGY DISCONTINUTED FLIGHT TESTING OF THE UNMANNED VEHICLE THEY WERE TESTING EARLY THAT DAY DUE TO AN APPROACHING FRONT AND UNSTABLE AIR. THIS OFFICE CONSIDERS THIS ACCIDENT CLOSED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW98LA257](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA257), Jun 6, 1998: Aero Commander S2R (N1765S), Hondo, TX, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The inadvertent stall due to the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane. Factors were the high winds and the wind induced turbulence. ## Other reports on N1765S (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19950322008469I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950322008469I), Mar 22, 1995: Ayres S2RRESTD (N1765S), Quemado, TX, Minor damage. Narrative: during agricultural spray operation, pilot's attention was distracted by operation of irrigation activity in adjacent field. When he looked outside… - [Incident 19920904037859I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920904037859I), Sep 4, 1992: Ayres S2R (N1765S), Peasall, TX, Minor damage. Pilot attempted a go around to avoid hitting deer. Flaps down airspeed too slow to fly. Settled into trees. - [Accident 19901110049599A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19901110049599A), Nov 10, 1990: Ayres S2R800 (N1765S), Dilley, TX, Substantial damage. While dusting a field, experienced engine problems, landed in field and flipped. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.