Rockwell International S-2R accident near Deshler, Ohio, July 9, 2010
On July 9, 2010 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Rockwell International S-2R, registered N4992X, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Deshler, Ohio. 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
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2010 · about 11:30 pm local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Deshler, Ohio · 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
- N4992X · registry record · serial 5037R
- 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 pilot reported that the engine lost power during the middle of a spray run when he was just above the height of the corn crop. He turned the airplane away from the town and power lines before it contacted small trees and a ditch during the forced landing in a bean field. Both wings were substantially damaged. A teardown of the engine and a functional check of the fuel control unit, high pressure fuel pump, and the propeller governor failed to reveal any failures that would have prevented the engine from producing power.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Not specified other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 8,900 as pilot in command; 1,150 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 5, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,500 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 20, 2010; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney C7BA SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bob Ruhe AG Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: R47 Leipsic OH at 11:00 pm
- Destination: R47 Leipsic OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from FDY, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 20, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Engine Examination Summary | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N4992X on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Rockwell International S-2 98 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Rockwell International 657 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney C7BA SERIES · as the NTSB recorded it
- Ruhes Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Ohio 1,884 since 1982 · 253 in the last ten years
- Ohio 8,531 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN10LA404.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.