Ayres S2R-T45 accident near Granger, Texas, September 23, 1996
On September 23, 1996 at about 9:45 am local time, a Ayres S2R-T45, registered N3107B, was destroyed in an accident near Granger, Texas. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions, and subsequent loss of aircraft control due to spatial disorientation. Factors relating to the accident were darkness, the prevailing fog and low ceilings, the inadequate flight instruments available to the pilot, and the pilot's lack of instrument experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 1996 · about 9:45 am local time
- Place
- Granger, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R-T45
- Registration
- N3107B · no longer on the register · serial T45-004DC
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area for the night cross-country flight, which originated from the operator's private airstrip at approximately 0435. The noninstrument-rated commercial pilot did not file a flight plan for the intended 195 nautical mile flight. Concerned relatives reported the airplane missing, when it failed to arrive at its destination by 0630. The airplane was not equipped with an ELT. The wreckage was located in an open pasture approximately 5 miles west of the point of departure, at approximately 1830 the next evening. Physical evidence indicated that the airplane impacted the ground in a nose down attitude at a high rate of speed. Flight instruments installed in the airplane consisted of an altimeter, an airspeed indicator, a magnetic compass, and a slip (ball) indicator. There were no reported eyewitnesses to the accident. Examination of the wreckage at the accident site did not disclosed any mechanical problems or evidence of preimpact malfunction.
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: 6,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,781 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 26, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 8,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-45AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Laneport TX at 9:35 am
- Destination: 15F Haskell TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.