Rockwell S2R accident near Bishop, Texas, June 17, 1982
On June 17, 1982 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Rockwell S2R, registered N5028X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bishop, Texas (Bishop Municipal airport). 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 1982 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bishop, Texas · Bishop Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell S2R
- Registration
- N5028X · no longer on the register · serial 5060R
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
REPORTEDLY, THE PILOT REALIZED HE WAS LOW ON FUEL, BUT THOUGHT HE HAD ENOUGH TO FINISH SPRAYING THE FIELD AND RETURN TO THE LANDING AREA. AS HE PULLED UP FROM THE LAST PASS, HE NOTICED THAT ONE FUEL GAUGE WAS ON EMPTY AND THE OTHER WAS INDICATING ABOUT 1/8 FULL. AT ABOUT 50 FT AGL, THE ENGINE LOST POWER FROM FUEL EXHAUSTION AND THE PILOT LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD IN AN OPEN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A DITCH AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
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: 8,000 hours in all; 8,000 in this make and model; 8,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,450 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright R-1300-1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 07R Bishop TX at 3:30 pm
- Destination: 07R Bishop TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:00 pm
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.
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.