Ayres S2R accident near Watson, Arkansas, June 5, 1998
On June 5, 1998 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Ayres S2R, registered N4007Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watson, 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 partial loss of engine power due to the disconnection of the propeller governor control as a result of the stripped threads on the propeller governor control push-pull rod. 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 5, 1998 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Watson, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R
- Registration
- N4007Y · registry record · serial 2517R
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While applying herbicide to a rice field, during the pull up at the end of a spray pass, the agricultural airplane's engine lost power. During the ensuing forced landing, the airplane touched down in a field and rolled into a hedgerow of trees. Examination of the engine by a mechanic revealed a discontinuity in the propeller governor control. The threads on the push-pull rod which retain the rod end that bolts to the propeller governor were stripped, and the rod end had separated from the rod. According to the mechanic, the separation of the rod end probably resulted in the reported loss of engine power, since the governor is 'spring loaded' to a high pitch (low rpm) setting. No other discrepancies with the engine were noted, and it was placed on a test stand and ran 'with no problems.'
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: 10,547 hours in all; 4,354 in this make and model; 166 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,595 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 13, 1998; 166 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,265 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pzl-Kalisz PZL-35 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from PBF, 37 miles away
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.