Rockwell International S-2R accident near Howard, South Dakota, May 23, 2012
On May 23, 2012 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Rockwell International S-2R, registered N8421V, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Howard, South Dakota (Howard Municipal airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A fractured fabricated aluminum oil line, which resulted in oil exhaustion followed by a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2012 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Howard, South Dakota · Howard Municipal · 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
- N8421V · registry record · serial 2181R
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine had recently been installed under a supplemental type certificate and had accrued 2 hours flight time before the accident. The pilot said that he took off on the test flight and adjusted the throttle and propeller control for climb. He noticed low oil pressure and a loss of propeller pitch control. In his attempt to return to the airport, the airplane started to settle and lose altitude. He made a forced landing in a rough pasture. The right wing struck terrain, which damaged the spar, and the airplane nosed down. Postaccident examination revealed a fractured aluminum line where it attached to the propeller governor, resulting in a loss of oil and oil pressure. Only two quarts of oil remained in the crankcase. The fractured line had been fabricated during the engine installation. Maintenance personnel said they should have installed more Adel clamps to secure the line and minimize vibrations.
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 (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › Eng oil dist (airframe furn) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
Crew member
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,755 hours in all; 380 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 4,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,776 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-59 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: East River Air Spray
The flight
- Departed from: K8D9 Howard SD at 3:40 pm
- Destination: K8D9 Howard SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KMHE, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N8421V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN12LA357.