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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2012 · about 3:45 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Howard, South Dakota · Howard Municipal · cases near this airport · 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 other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level other cases naming the engine
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
10 documents, released by the NTSB on August 1, 2012. 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 | NTSB Form 6120.1-2, Pilot-operator Aircraft Accident Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | E-mails from FAA Inspectors | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Form 337 (Partial) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 1 - Ground Path Created During Forced Landing. Airplane Is in Background. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 2 - N4821R After Forced Landing. Note Oil Spray on Side of Fuselage. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 3 - Aluminum Line Leading to Propeller Governor. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo 4 - Fractured Aluminum Line Inside Nut at Propeller Governor. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo 5 - Right Wing Damage. | 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.
Other NTSB records under N8421V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N8421V 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: P&W R-1340-59 1,229 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Howard Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in South Dakota 469 since 1982 · 69 in the last ten years
- South Dakota 2,278 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N8421V 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA357.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.