- Date
- May 27, 2008, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Des Arc, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3105EAyres S2R-T34
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Little Rock FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080527834229A
- Case key
- 68134
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
A total loss of engine power while maneuvering for undetermined reasons.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The pilot was beginning his second aerial application run of the day and reported that he had just entered a 45 degree turn when he "heard the engine blow and saw smoke", the airplane then began to "drop like a rock". The wing struck the ground first followed by the propeller, the right main tire, right wingtip and the tail. There was substantial damage to both wings, the empennage, and the tail surfaces. The loss of engine power was undetermined.
Factual narrative
The 3,630 hour commercial rated pilot was beginning his second aerial application run of the day and had just entered a 45 degree turn when he "heard the engine blow and saw smoke", the airplane then began to "drop like a rock". The low wing turboprop struck the ground first with the propeller, then the right main tire, the right wingtip and the tail. There was substantial damage to both wings, the empennage, and the tail surfaces, but no injuries to the pilot, who was the only occupant. The loss of engine power was undetermined. Weather reported at the time of the accident was 7 miles visibility, with broken clouds at 4,500 feet, westerly winds at 4 knots, with a temperature of 82 degrees and dew point of 70 degrees.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3105E
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R-T34
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T34-177
- Airframe hours
- 5,394
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A SERIES, 600 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Bell Ag Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Bells Ag Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2008
- Departed
- N/A · Des Arc, AR
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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.
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- LIT, 39 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3105E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.