Rockwell International S2R accident near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, July 25, 1996
On July 25, 1996 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Rockwell International S2R, registered N4886X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 pilot's failure to refuel the airplane resulting in fuel exhaustion. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 1996 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Tahlequah, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell International S2R · all S2Rs on the register
- Registration
- N4886X · no longer on the register · serial 2087R
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While cruising at 6,500 feet MSL, a total loss of engine power occurred. During the force landing to a rough field the airplane landed hard. Flight time was 1 hour and 50 minutes and the flight had departed with 97 gallons of usable fuel. The owner had previously run the engine about 3 hours since a major overhaul. The fuel consumption rate since the overhaul had not been determined; however, the owner reported a previous fuel consumption rate of 45 gph and that the 'airplane ran out of fuel.'
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,800 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 15,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,450 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 20, 1995; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HEE West Helena AR at 6:50 pm
- Destination: H73 OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from TUL, 285 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 N4886X 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.