- Date
- May 24, 2019, 06:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Grangeville, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5569XRockwell S2R
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190524005099A
- Case key
- 99492
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while turning at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during a practice agricultural application flight and after overflying the field, he pulled up hard to avoid a tall tree. He leveled out for about 3/4 mile to build airspeed and initiated a turn to overfly the field again. During the turn, the airplane began to buffet, and the pilot knew it was a "pending stall." He pushed the stick forward, and the airplane descended, so he pulled back on the stick again, and the airplane buffeted. He pushed the stick forward, the main landing gear tires contacted the ground, and the airplane became airborne again. The airplane was approaching power lines, so the pilot banked left, but the airspeed decreased, and the airplane then aerodynamically stalled and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during a practice agricultural application flight with water, after overflying the field, he pulled up hard to avoid a tall tree. He leveled out for about ¾ of a mile to build airspeed and initiated a turn to overfly the field again. During the turn the airplane began to buffet, and the pilot knew it was a "pending stall." He pushed the stick forward, descended, so he pulled back on the stick again and the airplane buffeted again. He pushed the stick forward again, the main landing gear tires contacted the ground and the airplane became airborne again. The airplane approached power lines, the pilot banked left, the airplane "lost air speed" and aerodynamically stalled, and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station, located about 4 miles east of the accident site, reported that, about 5 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 270° at 4 knots. The pilot reported that after he exited the airplane, he realized that there was a tailwind at an estimated speed of 10 to 15 mph. The pilot was flying to the east.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5569X
- Reported as
- Rockwell S2R (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1769R
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 9,824.1
- Engine
- Walter M601E-11, 760 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 2019
- Departed
- S84 · Cottonwood, ID
- Destination
- S84 · Cottonwood, ID
- Equipment
- None
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 28, 2019
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 974 total · 368 in this make and model · 974 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- KGIC, 4 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.