Ayres S-2R accident near Arlington, Georgia, June 15, 1983
On June 15, 1983 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Ayres S-2R, registered N30878, was destroyed in an accident near Arlington, Georgia (Arlington airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 1983 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Arlington, Georgia · Arlington
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S-2R
- Registration
- N30878 · no longer on the register · serial R1820-22DC
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE ACFT HAD NEARLY REACHED ITS LIFT-OFF SPEED WHEN THE ENG BACKFIRED. THE PLT SHUT DOWN THE ENG, DUMPED THE CHEMICALS & STOPPED ON THE RWY. HE THEN EXITED THE ACFT. AS HE WALKED AROUND THE ACFT, HE SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL. HE OPENED THE COWLING TO INSPECT THE ENG & A BLAZE BROKE OUT. THE ACFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DESTROYED BY FIRE. DUE TO THE TOTAL DESTRUCTION, THE MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,331 hours in all; 522 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 2,198 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 483 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright R-1820-97 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from ABY, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N30878 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.