Ayres S2R accident near Jackson, Tennessee, September 22, 2020
On September 22, 2020 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1995 Ayres S2R, registered N3298M, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Jackson, Tennessee. 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 pilot’s failure to adequately monitor his fuel supply, resulting in fuel exhaustion, a total loss of engine power, and a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 2020 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R T45, built 1995
- Registration
- N3298M · no longer on the register · serial T45-010DC
- 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 pilot was spreading crop seed on a field about 150-200 ft above ground level (agl) when the engine lost all power. He selected a road between trees and a powerline for a forced landing. The airplane reportedly stalled about 10 ft above the road, touched down hard, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid on its belly until the left wing struck a tree and the airplane came to a stop, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. Examination of the wreckage revealed no fuel in ether fuel tank, no fuel spillage, and only contained trace amounts of fuel in the fuel lines. At the time of the accident, the airplane had been in operation for about 3 hours, which the owner reported was the airplane’s maximum fuel endurance. The pilot reported that he normally used a cockpit-mounted timer to keep track of the airplane’s fuel endurance but did not normally fly the accident airplane, which was not equipped with this feature.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Fuel exhaustion during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Fuel related during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 6,577 hours in all; 4,705 in this make and model; 649 in the last 90 days; 180 in the last 30 days; 6,432 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,650 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 30, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A (turboprop); 6,650 hours total
- Operator: Airworks LLC
The flight
- Departed from: MKL Jackson TN at 8:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from MKL, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMKL 221953Z 07006KT 10SM CLR 20/13 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP217 T02000128
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on June 14, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Memorandum for Record - FAA Statement 1 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Memorandum for Record - FAA Statement 2 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | NTSB Memorandum for Record - Recovery Team Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpt - Airframe Logbook | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Excerpt - Engine Logbook | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.