Ayres S2R accident near Pantego, North Carolina, July 1, 2018
On July 1, 2018 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 1990 Ayres S2R, registered N3098L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Pantego, North Carolina. 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 pilot's failure to maintain the proper approach path during landing, which resulted in landing short of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2018 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Pantego, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S2R 15, built 1990
- Registration
- N3098L · no longer on the register · serial R1340-021
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the owner of the agricultural application airplane, the commercial pilot was performing a simulated agricultural application flight with about 70 gallons of water in the hopper. After spraying water on the fields next to the private runway, during landing, the airplane touched down short of the runway. The main landing gear (MLG) struck a ditch, and the right MLG separated. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The owner added that, before the flight, the pilot had accumulated 0.3 hour of total flight experience in the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing area undershoot during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 615 hours in all; 0.3 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 450 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 9, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6-27 (turboprop); 13,365 hours total
- Operator: Lee Flying Service Inc
The flight
- Departed from: Pantego NC at 1:10 pm
- Destination: Pantego NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 pm from KOCW, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 24, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.