Thrush Aircraft INC S2R-H80 accident near Bryan, Texas, April 25, 2012
On April 25, 2012 at about 3:52 pm local time, a Thrush Aircraft INC S2R-H80, registered N510KW, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Bryan, Texas. It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 diverted attention, which resulted in a loss of control while maneuvering the airplane at a low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 2012 · about 3:52 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Bryan, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Thrush Aircraft INC S2R-H80 · all S2R-H80s on the register
- Registration
- N510KW · no longer on the register · serial H80-104
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While maneuvering at a low altitude, the pilot attempted to retrieve a coffee cup that had become loose and was rolling around on the cockpit floor, and the airplane entered a nose-down descent. The pilot attempted to arrest the descent, but he did not have sufficient altitude to regain control of the airplane before it impacted the ground. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during uncontrolled descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 10,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: General Electric H-80 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Thrush Aircraft Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: CFD Bryan TX
- Destination: CFD College Station TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast; clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from CLL, 5 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 June 11, 2013. 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 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | 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
- N510KW: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Thrush Aircraft Inc S-2 102 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: General Electric H-80 · as the NTSB recorded it
- Coulter Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,062 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,979 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA260.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.