Rockwell S-2R accident near Guelph, North Dakota, July 12, 2005
On July 12, 2005 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Rockwell S-2R, registered N4232X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Guelph, North Dakota (Oakes Municipal airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance to the guy wire during the agricultural application pass. Contributing factors were the guy wire, and low altitude flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2005 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Guelph, North Dakota · Oakes Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell S-2R
- Registration
- N4232X · no longer on the register · serial 2000R
- 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 airplane was substantially damaged when it struck a guy wire during an agricultural application pass. The pilot reported that prior to the application passes, he circled the field 3 times, "checking for obstructions and assessing the safest manner to complete this application." He noted that he observed power lines running along the north end of the field and he decided to fly parallel to the lines. He stated that during the last pass of the field, adjacent to the power lines, he did not see the guy wire attached to the second to last set of power line poles. He reported that the right wing struck the guy wire, severing about 4 feet of the wing. He noted that the airplane "jerked" to the right and pitched upward. He reported: "At this point I was underneath the wires, [sliding] sideways through the air. I fought to get the nose level. Then the nose pitched down and I [impacted] into the slough in about 3 feet of water."
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 6,208 hours in all; 3,347 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,144 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2005; 163 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-6-252M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2D5 Oakes ND at 9:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from ABR, 46 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N4232X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.