Ayres S2R-T34 accident near Welsh, Louisiana, May 22, 1997
On May 22, 1997 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Ayres S2R-T34, registered N30982, was substantially damaged in an accident near Welsh, Louisiana (Private Airstrip 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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance with a moving vehicle. Factors were: the lack of runway signs and a runway safety area, and the difficulty for the pilot and driver of the vehicle to visually detect each other due to high vegetation at the edge of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 1997 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Welsh, Louisiana · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R-T34
- Registration
- N30982 · registry record · serial T34173DC
- 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 reported that the he was making his 7th takeoff that day from a grass airstrip which was oriented perpendicular to a gravel road located just beyond the departure end. Just as the aircraft lifted off, approximately 5-6 feet AGL, the pilot caught a glimpse of a truck passing from right to left along the gravel road. An instant later, the main landing gear and propeller impacted the truck. The aircraft came to rest in a pasture approximately 150 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. Both the truck and aircraft were structurally damaged. The pilot also reported that the runway end was not marked adjacent to the road and did not have a designated overrun area. Additionally, the gravel road was lined with 'sparse bushes and tall trees' which made it difficult for the pilot and the driver of the truck to see each other.
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: 15,000 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 125 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,355 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 26, 1997; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,100 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-34 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°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.