- Date
- May 30, 1996, 06:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lost Hills, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8447VRockwell S-2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960530012129A
- Case key
- 29455
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 loss of engine power due to a cylinder failure. A contributing factor was the lack of a suitable field for the forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the pilot's last aerial application flight over a field, the engine began to shake and lose power. The pilot initially attempted to make a precautionary landing on a nearby road but aborted the plan upon observing traffic. The engine lost additional power, and the pilot made a forced landing in a grape field. Upon inspection of the engine, the number 4 cylinder head was found to have failed. The pilot opined that its failure had been catastrophic and was related to the fact that the cylinder on the engine was 50 years old.
Factual narrative
On May 30, 1996, at 0630 hours Pacific daylight time, a Rockwell International S-2R, N8447V, operated by Inland Crop Dusters, Inc., experienced a total loss of engine power while performing an aerial application flight near Lost Hills, California. The commercial pilot made a forced landing in a rough field. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the pilot was not injured. The flight originated from a dirt airstrip near Lost Hills at 0600.
According to the pilot, during his last pass over the field the engine began to shake and lose power. The pilot initially attempted to make a precautionary landing on a nearby road, but aborted the plan upon observing traffic. The engine continued losing power, and the pilot made a forced landing in a grape field.
The pilot further reported that upon inspection of the engine, the number 4 cylinder head was found to have failed. The pilot opined that its failure had been "catastrophic," and was related to the fact that the cylinder on the Pratt & Whitney R-1340 engine was 50 years old.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8447V
- Reported as
- Rockwell S-2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2207R
- Airframe hours
- 9,637
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Inland Crop Dusters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 6, 1996 · 30 hours before
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 13,116 total · 8,000 in this make and model · 12,347 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.