Rockwell S2R N4191X

Summary

On 6 June 2016 at about 14:45 local time, a Rockwell S2R registered N4191X was involved in an accident near De Smet, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 June 2016 at 14:45

Classification

Accident

Location

De Smet, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

47.1483, -116.9872

Aircraft

Rockwell S2R

Registration

N4191X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tekoa → De Smet

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR16FA120

1 person died.

The pilot's inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance from guy wires during an aerial application flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's reduced ability to see the guy wires due to sun glare.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During an aerial application flight to apply fungicide to a wheat field, the pilot was flying the airplane from west to east making a spray pass along the south edge of the field, which was bordered by powerlines. About 660 ft. from the west end of the field where the pilot started his spray pass, a set of guy wires originated from the top of one of the utility poles that supported the powerlines, extended about 65 ft. into the field, and ran directly perpendicular to and in line with the airplane's flight path. However, the pilot failed to maintain clearance with the guy wires, and the airplane's outboard right wing impacted the wires. The airplane subsequently veered right and impacted the powerlines, crossed a road that bordered the field on the south, and collided with a stand of trees. The airplane came to rest within the stand of trees about 490 ft. southeast of the initial impact point with the guy wires. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Given that the sun was very close to the horizon and would have been almost directly in the pilot's eyes as he attempted to avoid the guy wires, it is likely that sun glare contributed to his difficulty in maintaining clearance from the wires.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.