- Date
- May 2, 1991, 06:35 local (11:35 UTC)
- Place
- Wheatley, AR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 fatal
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4015ZAyres S2R-T34
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910502013969A
- Case key
- 23195
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 failure of the flagman to follow established procedures.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Aerial application passes were being made north to south with each pass being beneath cross country power lines in the middle of the field. One flagman was positioned at one end of the field with a second beneath the power lines. During the sixth pass, for unknown reasons, the flagman failed to move as the airplane approached. According to the pilot, 'due to the height of the wires and their close proximity, I was committed to pass under them.' He unsuccessfully attempted to pass beneath the wires and over the flagman. The left main gear struck the flagman and the airplane collided with a levee before control could be regained. An uneventful landing followed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4015Z
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R-T34
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6041
- Airframe hours
- 9,574
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-34AG, 783 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Christopher Broughton
- Registered owner
- Christopher Broughton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 15, 1991 · 104 hours before
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,485 total · 100 in this make and model · 2,385 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.