Ayres S 2R accident near Stuttgart, Arkansas, May 17, 2019
On May 17, 2019 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1977 Ayres S 2R, registered N5675X, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Stuttgart, Arkansas (Stuttgart Municipal Carl Humph airport). 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 exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering during an agricultural application flight, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 17, 2019 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stuttgart, Arkansas · Stuttgart Municipal Carl Humph · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres S 2R Undesignat, built 1977
- Registration
- N5675X · no longer on the register · serial 2402R
- 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, while turning the airplane after finishing a fertilizer application, the "wind was under the wing pushing [the airplane]." He tried to "pull the aircraft out of the turn," but it aerodynamically stalled. He returned the stick to neutral, and while regaining control, the left main landing gear (MLG) and wingtip struck the ground, which caused the landing gear to bend underneath the wing. The airplane bounced, and the pilot decided to return to the departure airport. During landing, he attempted to keep the left MLG off the ground as long as possible, but the left wing impacted the ground, and the airplane exited the runway to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Other weather encounter during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 540.2 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 7.5 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 462.7 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,586.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGT Stuttgart AR at 6:10 pm
- Destination: SGT Stuttgart AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 17 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from SGT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 5, 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | 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.
Other NTSB records under N5675X 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.