Ayres S2R-G10 accident near Biggers, Arkansas, June 13, 1997
On June 13, 1997 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Ayres S2R-G10, registered N6133X, was destroyed in an accident near Biggers, Arkansas. 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 total blockage of a fuel line by a silicone rubber contaminant which resulted in fuel starvation. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 1997 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Biggers, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R-G10
- Registration
- N6133X · registry record · serial G10-121
- 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 initial takeoff climb, the agricultural airplane's engine lost power, and the pilot executed a forced landing in a corn field. There was insufficient space available to bring the airplane to a complete stop before it reached the edge of the field and collided with trees. Examination of the airplane revealed that a foreign object had completely blocked the fuel line leading from the forward left wing tank outlet to the fuselage header tank. Chemical analysis indicated that the object was composed of silicone rubber. The 1996 model airplane had accumulated 696 hours total time. Visual inspection of the left and right wing fuel tanks disclosed no evidence that silicone rubber had been used as a tank sealant or as gasket material during manufacture of the airplane. No mention was made in the maintenance records of any maintenance, repairs or modifications to the airplane's fuel system. The source of the silicone rubber contamination could not be determined.
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: 5,500 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 150 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 696 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 12, 1997
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-10 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°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.