Rockwell International S-2R accident near Watson, Arkansas, June 11, 2005
On June 11, 2005 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Rockwell International S-2R, registered N8856Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watson, Arkansas. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2005 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Watson, Arkansas · 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
- N8856Q · no longer on the register · serial 2342R
- 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 8,170-hour pilot reported that while performing aerial application of fertilizer on a field, the engine lost power. As the pilot initiated a forced landing to the cotton field he was spraying, the airplane stalled and impacted the ground. Examination of the airplane revealed that approximately two inches of fuel was in the right wing fuel tank. Prior to recovery of the airplane, a salvage team removed 20 gallons of fuel from the right wing fuel tank. Examination of the radial engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
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: 8,170 hours in all; 7,000 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 8,170 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Watson AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N8856Q 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.