Rockwell S2R accident near Harlan, Iowa, July 20, 2020
On July 20, 2020 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1973 Rockwell S2R, registered N1662S, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Harlan, Iowa. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue fracture of the upper rudder hinge that resulted in a partial separation of the rudder from the airplane during a spray pass.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2020 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Harlan, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell S2R No Series, built 1973
- Registration
- N1662S · registry record · serial 1835R
- 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 of the aerial application flight was spraying a field when the top portion of the rudder partially separated from the airplane. The airplane yawed abruptly left and remained in an uncontrollable left yaw for about 10 to 15 minutes, at times pitching uncontrollably downward until the broken portion of the rudder separated. The airplane landed without further incident. Postaccident metallurgical examination of the upper rudder hinge revealed a fatigue fracture.
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
- Part(s) separation from AC during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Empennage structure › Rudder › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,533 hours in all; 1,160 in this make and model; 230 in the last 90 days; 226 in the last 30 days; 5,486 as pilot in command; 943 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 25, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,955 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 11, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 6,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Honeywell TPE331-10 (turboprop); 500 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HNR Harland IA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: HNR Harland IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft; a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from HNR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN20LA294.