Ayres S2R-T34 N4046S

Summary

On 23 July 2022 at about 14:12 local time, a Ayres S2R-T34 registered N4046S, operated by Air Aids Inc, was involved in an accident near Parkin, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 July 2022 at 14:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Parkin, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

35.2032, -90.5590

Aircraft

Ayres S2R-T34

Registration

N4046S

Category

Airplane

Year built

1999

Engines

1

Operator

Air Aids Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Earle → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA335

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from tower guy wires while maneuvering.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had made multiple aerial application flights before the accident flight. Automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast (ADS-B) data showed that the airplane made multiple passes over the field north of the tower, which was located in the field. During the final pass over the field, the airplane turned north toward the western guy wires. The airplane struck the guy wires and impacted the terrain north of the tower. The operator’s representative stated that the pilot had been briefed about the field’s obstructions, specifically the location of the tower and its guy wires located in the intended field to be sprayed with fungicide. He stated that the pilot had previously flown over the field more than once. The airplane was destroyed by postcrash fire and impact forces, which prevented confirmation of flight control continuity. The propeller displayed S-shaped bending consistent with power generation. No mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal airplane operation were noted. Toxicology testing revealed that the pilot had used cannabis. The psychoactive compounds delta-9-THC and delta-8-THC were detected in his heart blood at low concentrations. THC can decrease vigilance and has effects for several hours. However, because of the fat storage and slow release of THC, low concentrations in blood can reflect use several days ago. How recent or frequent the pilot’s use of cannabis was unknown, as was the type of product. Given these unknowns, while the pilot was found to have cannabis in his system, it could not be determined if the concentration would have been impairing and influenced his vigilance about avoiding the antenna hazard.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.