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20150616008979A

Accident · Minor damage
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FAA accident report · Rockwell International S-2R · Washtucna, WA · June 16, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 16, 2015 · 10:45 local
Place
Washtucna, WA
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
WZIG
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8420V
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR15LA186
Reported as
Rockwell International S-2R
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney R1340 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,825 total25 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N8420VRegistration cancelled Jun 12, 2020 · Rockwell International S-2RS/N 2180R · Built 1976Airframe modelRockwell International S-2REngine modelPratt & Whitney R1340 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot was applying dry fertilizer on several fields near wastucna, WA. The day was warming up and the air was starting to get a little rough though he stated that he didn?t think it would be a problem. After applying 8 loads of fertilizer he was returning to the airstrip to reload. He had no indication that any of the wind conditions had changed. He did a normal approach first reducing power and lowering the flaps. On final he went to full flaps and reduced airspeed to 80 mph for a normal landing. Pilot stated everything was normal until he crossed the threshold of the runway/pavement. At the moment he crossed the threshold and estimating roughly 10 feet above ground, the airplane dropped to the ground and bounced about 10 feet back in the air. At that point, pilot stated he felt he had no control of the aircraft and all controls were ineffective. As the aircraft dropped back down it was pointed about 10 degrees to the left and it touched down in the dirt a few feet off the runway. Pilot stated he felt the aircraft slow at a rapid rate. The aircraft then sank in soft dirt and abruptly flipped directly over the nose and on to the top of the aircraft.

The pilot stated that the accident happened at about 10:45 am. And at that time of the morning the air gets unstable in the dry land wheat country. His best guess/estimate is that a small dust devil or wind gust/ wind shear hit him from behind and to the right.

Pilot sustained two crushed vertebrae and several broken ribs.

No post-accident fire

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS APPLYING DRY FERTILIZER ON SEVERAL FIELDS NEAR WASTUCNA, WA. THE DAY WAS WARMING UP AND THE AIR WAS STARTING TO GET A LITTLE ROUGH THOUGH HE STATED THAT HE DIDN?T THINK IT WOULD BE A PROBLEM. AFTER APPLYING 8 LOADS OF FERTILIZER HE WAS RETURNING TO THE AIRSTRIP TO RELOAD. HE HAD NO INDICATION THAT ANY OF THE WIND CONDITIONS HAD CHANGED. HE DID A NORMAL APPROACH FIRST REDUCING POWER AND LOWERING THE FLAPS. ON FINAL HE WENT TO FULL FLAPS AND REDUCED AIRSPEED TO 80 MPH FOR A NORMAL LANDING. PILOT STATED EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL HE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD OF THE RUNWAY/PAVEMENT. AT THE MOMENT HE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD AND ESTIMATING ROUGHLY 10 FEET ABOVE GROUND, THE AIRPLANE DROPPED TO THE GROUND AND BOUNCED ABOUT 10 FEET BACK IN THE AIR. AT THAT POINT, PILOT STATED HE FELT HE HAD NO CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ALL CONTROLS WERE INEFFECTIVE. AS THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED BACK DOWN IT WAS POINTED ABOUT 10 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AND IT TOUCHED DOWN IN THE DIRT A FEW FEET OFF THE RUNWAY. PILOT STATED HE FELT THE AIRCRAFT SLOW AT A RAPID RATE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SANK IN SOFT DIRT AND ABRUPTLY FLIPPED DIRECTLY OVER THE NOSE AND ON TO THE TOP OF THE AIRCRAFT.

THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED AT ABOUT 10:45 AM. AND AT THAT TIME OF THE MORNING THE AIR GETS UNSTABLE IN THE DRY LAND WHEAT COUNTRY. HIS BEST GUESS/ESTIMATE IS THAT A SMALL DUST DEVIL OR WIND GUST/ WIND SHEAR HIT HIM FROM BEHIND AND TO THE RIGHT.

PILOT SUSTAINED TWO CRUSHED VERTEBRAE AND SEVERAL BROKEN RIBS.

NO POST-ACCIDENT FIRE

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR15LA186Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWashtucna, WAThe pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing with a quartering tailwind.Jun 16, 2015 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8420V · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20040326003809ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Matawa, WA(-23) Airman returned from aerial application to Private landing strip to refuel. Landing strip is a one-way strip due to slope. Prevailing wind necessitated a downwind landing, with a quartering tailwind. Airman estimated that the wind at the time was…Mar 26, 2004 · Substantial damageIncident 19920502017909ITakeoff Ground Roll · Roger, IDLeft main tire blew on takeoff roll. Aircraft veered sharply to the left. Aborted.May 2, 1992 · Minor damage