- Date
- June 12, 2003, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Royal City, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8468VRockwell International S-2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Spokane FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030612013269A
- Case key
- 57219
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 failure to maintain clearance from a 20 foot high post while applying chemicals to an agricultural field, which resulted in impact damage to the right main landing gear, and ultimately to a collapse of the subject gear during the subsequent landing roll. Factors include a post within the area that the pilot was applying chemicals to.
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
While applying chemicals to a field, the pilot inadvertently allowed the aircraft's right main landing gear to impact a 20 foot high post. He then dispersed the remainder of his load and returned to the strip he was using as his base of operations. Knowing that the right gear had been damaged, the pilot held the right wing higher than the left as long as he could during the landing roll, but when the right main gear touched the landing surface it collapsed. When the gear collapsed, the right wing came in contact with the terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing main spar.
Factual narrative
On June 12, 2003, approximately 0800 Pacific daylight time, a Rockwell International S-2R, N8468V, impacted a post during an aerial application flight near Royal City, Washington. The pilot was not injured, but the aircraft, which is owned and operated by Royal City Flying service, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight, which departed a local airstrip about 15 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions.
According to the pilot, while applying chemicals to a field, the aircraft's right main landing gear impacted a 20 foot high post. The pilot then dispersed the remainder of his load and returned to the strip he was using as his base of operations. Knowing that the right gear had been damaged, the pilot held the right wing higher than the left as long as he could during the landing roll, but when the right main gear touched the landing surface it collapsed. When the gear collapsed, the right wing came in contact with the terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing main spar.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8468V
- Reported as
- Rockwell International S-2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2228R
- Airframe hours
- 10,600
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN2, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Royal City Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 2003
- Departed
- Royal City, WA
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- December 20, 2002
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,060 total · 147 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8468V · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.