- Date
- July 10, 2013, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Coy, AR
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2239BAyres S2R-T41
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 13, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20130710012459A
- Case key
- 87486
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The propeller’s uncommanded reverse thrust during the landing flare due to improper rigging of the propeller’s governor linkage.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was conducting a maintenance flight to troubleshoot the airplane's spray system in preparation for the coming agricultural season. During the landing flare, the airplane's propeller went into reverse thrust and the airplane settled to the grass runway and landed hard. The airplane bounced during the landing, departed the runway, and the left wing hit a stationary tank. The airplane continued across two ditches and came to rest on its nose. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing spar was bent. An examination of the engine, propeller, and related systems revealed that the linkage to the propeller governor had not been rigged properly; the investigation found no anomalies with the remaining engine and airplane systems.
Factual narrative
On July 10, 2013, about 1430 central daylight time, an Ayres Corporation S2R-T41 airplane, N2239B, was substantially damaged while landing near Coy, Arkansas. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Bells Ag Service Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as maintenance flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight originated approximately 1420. During the maintenance flight, the pilot was troubleshooting the spray system on the airplane in order to prepare the airplane for the coming agricultural season. During the landing flare, the airplane's propeller went into reverse thrust and the airplane settled to the grass runway and landed hard. The airplane bounced during the landing, departed the runway environment, and hit a stationary tank with the left wing. The airplane continued across two ditches and came to rest on its nose. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing spar was bent. An examination of the engine, propeller, and related systems revealed that the linkage to the propeller governor had not been rigged properly. An examination of the remaining engine and airplane systems revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2239B
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R-T41
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T41-217
- Airframe hours
- 6,000
- Engine
- P&W PT6A SER, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Operator
- Bells Ag Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Bells Ag Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- NA · Coy, AR
- Destination
- NA · Coy, AR
- Airport
- NA · Private, runway 30, 3,000 × 50 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 342 in this make and model · 3,100 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KSGT, 15 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 12, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 402 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.