History of Flight
On August 22, 2017, at about 1100 Pacific daylight time, a Rockwell International S2R agricultural airplane, registration N5022X, was destroyed when it collided with terrain and was subsequently consumed by fire. The accident occurred approximately 8.5 miles east of Calipatria, California. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was owned by the Bank of Utah and operated by Farm Aviation, Inc., under 14 CFR Part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1050 from an unimproved dirt airstrip roughly 4 miles from the accident location.
The accident flight was the pilot's second chemical application sortie of the day. The first flight had departed from Brawley Municipal Airport (KBWC), Brawley, California, around 1020.
A witness located about 100 yards from the accident site reported that the airplane completed a west-to-east spray pass. As it neared the witness, it began a turn to reverse course. After a slight right turn, the wings were leveled at an estimated altitude of 150 to 200 feet above ground level. The witness then saw the nose drop, and the airplane impacted the field in a near-vertical attitude. A postimpact fire engulfed most of the fuselage, left wing, and empennage.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 40, held a commercial pilot certificate with single- and multi-engine land and instrument ratings, as well as a flight instructor certificate with single-engine and instrument ratings. He was issued a second-class medical certificate on April 26, 2017, with no limitations. On that application, he reported 2,210 total flight hours, with 280 hours in the preceding six months.
The pilot had been involved in a prior accident (WPR17LA174) on August 1, 2017, in a different agricultural airplane, which remained under investigation. According to the preliminary report, the pilot reported an engine power loss shortly after takeoff during a low-altitude reconnaissance and performed a forced landing. That aircraft sustained substantial damage, but the pilot was not injured.
Aircraft Information
The single-seat, low-wing airplane, serial number 5054R, was manufactured in 1975. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-59 radial engine, serial number E-142, which had been overhauled and installed on February 24, 2017. According to the operator, the engine had accumulated about 75 hours at the time of the accident.
Meteorological Information
The nearest weather station, Imperial County Airport (KIPL), Imperial, California, about 20 miles southeast of the accident site, reported at 1053: wind calm, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 98°F, dew point 60°F, and altimeter setting 29.90 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
National Transportation Safety Board investigators examined the wreckage on August 23, 2017. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was the engine, which had separated from the airframe and lay flat, propeller side down. Linear ground scars consistent with wing leading edge imprints extended from both sides of the engine, containing yellow paint fragments. The main wreckage, about 20 feet north of the FIPC, was inverted and oriented on a 263° magnetic heading.
Most of the empennage fabric was consumed by fire. The vertical stabilizer showed minimal impact damage. Elevator trim tab control continuity was established from cockpit to trim tab. Rudder control continuity was established from the rudder to the fuselage; the left cable remained intact, while the right cable was detached at the bellcrank. Elevator control continuity could not be determined due to impact damage.
Left aileron control continuity could not be determined due to thermal damage. The right aileron exhibited thermal damage but control continuity was established from the aileron to the fuselage; continuity from fuselage to cockpit could not be established due to thermal damage.
All three propeller blades remained attached to the hub, buried about 1 foot under dirt and grass. Two blades showed torsional twisting and aft bending consistent with engine operation at impact; the third was relatively undamaged.
Further examination at Air Transport, Phoenix, Arizona, on October 4–5, 2017, revealed that the last 4 feet of elevator control tube continuity was established through fractured segments consistent with impact damage.
The propeller rotated freely by hand. Spark plugs from cylinders 1, 8, and 9 were impact-damaged; all forward plugs showed normal wear signatures, though coloration was obscured by oil saturation. Thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders. The carburetor was impact-damaged; the throttle valve moved with difficulty due to debris. No anomalies were found with floats or accelerator pump. The fuel filter showed no anomalies. The fuel pump adjustment cover safety wire was separated and the cap loose; disassembly revealed no debris or defects. Magnetos could not be tested due to severe impact damage.
The electric flap motor drive screw measured about 1 1/4 inches with roughly 9 visible threads; the jackscrew assembly was not located, so flap setting could not be determined.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Imperial County Coroner's Office conducted an autopsy and attributed the cause of death to multiple traumatic injuries. The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory performed toxicology tests, which were negative for ethanol and drugs.