Ayres S2R-T34 accident near W. Helena, Arkansas, August 17, 1996
On August 17, 1996 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Ayres S2R-T34, registered N3095X, was destroyed in an accident near W. Helena, Arkansas (Thompson-Robbins airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate visual lookout of the vehicle driver and his inadvertent driving of the vehicle onto the runway resulting in the pilot of the departing aircraft performing an evasive maneuver in an attempt to avoid the collision.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 1996 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- W. Helena, Arkansas · Thompson-Robbins · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R-T34
- Registration
- N3095X · registry record · serial T34-174
- 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 pilot observed a vehicle enter from a taxiway onto the runway. The left wing of the airplane struck the truck as the pilot attempted to avoid the collision. The airport construction (VOR/DME installation) work schedule was Monday through Thursday and the pilot was aware of the construction project and that work was not scheduled for Saturdays. Project specifications and safety guidelines to all employees and suppliers included the following: aircraft has right-of-way over any vehicle, before crossing or entering on to a runway or taxiway come to a complete stop, and never proceed onto a runway without proper authorization. Construction personnel reported that the accident date was not a scheduled work day, no other personnel were at the site, and the truck driver had worked the airport site on Friday. However, the driver's job site for Saturday was not the airport and it was not known why the driver went to the airport instead of the assigned location. Toxicological testing (truck driver) by the state crime lab detected cannabinoids and alcohol; however, lab personnel stated that the cannabinoids were not quantified and the alcohol was below the state limit.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,006 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 275 in the last 90 days; 175 in the last 30 days; 1,925 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,490 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 26, 1996; 564 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-34AG (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HEE at 2:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,009 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°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.
Other NTSB records under N3095X 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.