Rockwell International S-2R accident near Perry, Florida, May 18, 2006
On May 18, 2006 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Rockwell International S-2R, registered N5596X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Perry, Florida (Perry-Foley airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to refuel the airplane before fuel exhaustion, which resulted in a loss of engine power while maneuvering, and a subsequent forced landing and collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2006 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Perry, Florida · Perry-Foley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell International S-2R · all S-2Rs on the register
- Registration
- N5596X · registry record · serial 5095R
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot was conducting agricultural spraying under Title 14, CFR Part 137, in a turbine-powered airplane, and had been refueling throughout the day at a local airport. The pilot reported that he and his ground crew kept a log of spray loads, flight time, and the quantity of fuel that was added upon each return to the airport. The pilot indicated that each refueling usually required about 70 gallons, and the airplane's fuel capacity was 104 gallons. He said that while spraying over an area of pine trees about 800 feet above ground level (agl), the engine lost power. He made a forced landing in an area of cut trees, and the airplane received structural damage to the landing gear, fuselage, and wings. The pilot said that after the accident, he inspected the fuel tanks and found them dry. The operator reported that their examination of the airplane after the accident did not reveal any mechanical malfunction.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 17,134 hours in all; 1,067 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Walter 601-11 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Croom Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 40J Perry FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N5596X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.