Ayres S2R-G6 accident near El Dorado, Arkansas, April 29, 1997
On April 29, 1997 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Ayres S2R-G6, registered N31575, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Dorado, Arkansas (Downtown airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 misjudging his altitude above the airport, resulting in not attaining the proper touchdown point. A factor was the separation of teeth from the aft gear of the spur gear assembly, which resulted in the interruption of fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 1997 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- El Dorado, Arkansas · Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R-G6
- Registration
- N31575 · no longer on the register · serial G6-133
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the aircraft was level at 1,200 to 1,500 MSL when the engine lost power. He applied full flaps, put the aircraft in a slip, and spiraled down towards the Downtown Airport. The aircraft touched down on runway 18 about midfield, bounced back into the air, cleared some trees, and touched down again approximately 1,500 feet from the departure end of the runway. The aircraft traveled across a ditch, struck two trees, continued through a fence, and came to a stop in a residential back yard. A teardown inspection of the engine revealed that several teeth on the aft gear of the Spur Gear assembly (P/N 896805-1) had separated. The Spur Gear assembly is part of the gear mechanism which drives both fuel pumps and the fuel control.
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: 5,200 hours in all; 684 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 570 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-6-252M (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLU Monroe LA at 3:20 pm
- Destination: TUL Tulsa OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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 N31575 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.