Rockwell S-2R N4232X

Summary

On 12 July 2005 at about 22:30 local time, a Rockwell S-2R registered N4232X was involved in an accident near Guelph, North Dakota, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 July 2005 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Guelph, North Dakota, United States

Nearest airport

Oakes Municipal (2D5)

Coordinates

46.0167, -98.2333

Aircraft

Rockwell S-2R

Registration

N4232X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oakes → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI05CA183

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance to the guy wire during the agricultural application pass. Contributing factors were the guy wire, and low altitude flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was substantially damaged when it struck a guy wire during an agricultural application pass. The pilot reported that prior to the application passes, he circled the field 3 times, "checking for obstructions and assessing the safest manner to complete this application." He noted that he observed power lines running along the north end of the field and he decided to fly parallel to the lines. He stated that during the last pass of the field, adjacent to the power lines, he did not see the guy wire attached to the second to last set of power line poles. He reported that the right wing struck the guy wire, severing about 4 feet of the wing. He noted that the airplane "jerked" to the right and pitched upward. He reported: "At this point I was underneath the wires, [sliding] sideways through the air. I fought to get the nose level. Then the nose pitched down and I [impacted] into the slough in about 3 feet of water."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.