Aero Commander S2R accident near Center, Colorado, August 19, 2016
On August 19, 2016 at about 4:53 pm local time, a 1969 Aero Commander S2R, registered N8870Q, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Center, Colorado. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during a low-level maneuver, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2016 · about 4:53 pm local time · cases in 2016
- Place
- Center, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander S2R UNDESIGNAT, built 1969 · all S2Rs on the register
- Registration
- N8870Q · no longer on the register · serial 1470R
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting his sixth low-level agricultural application flight of the day. One witness reported that the airplane made a turn, appeared to stall at the top of the turn, and spiraled to the ground. Witnesses who responded immediately to the scene found the pilot unresponsive and assisted in removing him from the wreckage. Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted a wheat field in a vertical, nose-down attitude. Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any evidence of preimpact failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot's cell phone records indicated that the pilot was texting at times that coincided with some of the application flights, including the accident flight. However, there was insufficient information to determine whether airborne PED use played a role in the accident flight. The toxicology testing on the pilot was positive for diphenhydramine, which is potentially impairing; however, it is unlikely that the pilot was significantly impaired by the small amount of drug found in his system. Exposure to the chemicals that the pilot was applying on the day of the accident can lead to various topical, airway, or neurological symptoms; however, there were no reports that the pilot complained of anything or displayed any unusual behavior on the day of the accident.
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 control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- 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
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Last flight review: October 15, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 21, 2016
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Walters Engine M601E-11 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Rocky Mountain AG INC
The flight
- Departed from: MVI Monte Vista CO
- Destination: MVI Monte Vista CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from KALS, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
13 documents, released by the NTSB on May 16, 2018. 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's Celluar Phone Text Message Log | PDF, 19 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Addendum to Pilot's Cellular Phone Text Message Log | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot's Celluar Phone Picture Message Log | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Addendum to Pilot's Cellular Phone Picture Message Log | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum of Record - Pilot's Cell Phone Chain of Custody | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Witness Statements | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Accident Site Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Police Dispatch Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Rmas Flight/chemical Logs for Day of Accident | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Clarification of Rma Flight/chemical Log Times | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Satloc Factual Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | Revisions to Factual Narrative as of July 31, 2018 | PDF, 4 pages | 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 N8870Q 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
- N8870Q: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Aero Commander S2 60 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Aero Commander 709 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Walters Engine M601E-11 · as the NTSB recorded it
- Monte Vista Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 383 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,486 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N8870Q 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/CEN16FA328.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.