Ayres S2R-T34 accident near Parkdale, Arkansas, August 11, 2006
On August 11, 2006 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Ayres S2R-T34, registered N444HF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Parkdale, Arkansas (None 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 failure of a compressor turbine blade for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a total loss of engine power. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2006 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Parkdale, Arkansas · None
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R-T34
- Registration
- N444HF · registry record · serial T36-191
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 6,000-hour commercial pilot made a forced landing to a cotton field after the turbine engine installed on his agricultural airplane stopped producing power. The pilot landed in a field and subsequently collided with trees. An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration performed an on-scene examination of the airplane. According to the inspector, the airplane sustained structural damage to the wings. Examination of the engine revealed a compressor-turbine blade had failed causing extensive damage to the vein ring, segments and small exit duct. This failure also resulted in debris contacting the power-turbine blades, which subsequently damaged all of the power-turbine blades and disc. The failed blade was never located and the mode of failure could not be determined. A review of the airplane's maintenance history revealed that the compressor-turbine disc was rebladed in November 1994, and had accumulated approximately 4,987.7 hours since new. The disc itself had accumulated approximately 7,941.4 hours and 7,170 cycles.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,409.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 3,460 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-36 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Parkdale AR at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from GLH
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.
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.