- Date
- March 17, 1989, 09:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Heth, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4968XRockwell S2R T34
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 29, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890317004019A
- Case key
- 34771
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
Aircraft control not maintained by the pilot in command due to landing in a tailwind of excessive velocity which the pilot misjudged or failed to recognize.
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
While performing an aerial application operation, the plt said that while attempting to land with a 15 to 25 knot tailwind, the aircraft nosed down. The propeller struck the runway, which caused extensive damage to the propeller and turbine engine. The acft subsequently caught fire and burned back to the cockpit area. The plt did not file an acc report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4968X
- Reported as
- Rockwell S2R T34
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5013R
- Engine
- P&W PT-6, 600 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Heth Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Heth, AR
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JBR
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 N4968X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.