Aero Commander S2R accident near Tulelake, California, July 10, 2003
On July 10, 2003 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Aero Commander S2R, registered N8912Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tulelake, California (Tulelake Municipal airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and failure to remove the gust lock, which resulted in his loss of airplane control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2003 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tulelake, California · Tulelake Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander S2R · all S2Rs on the register
- Registration
- N8912Q · registry record · serial 1582R
- 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 lost control of the airplane during the ground roll portion of takeoff. The airplane veered off the runway and decelerated in an adjacent soft field. The agricultural flight was originating at the time of the pilot's 0600 departure. The pilot acknowledged that had he performed a better preflight inspection, he would not have left the gust lock on the right aileron. During the takeoff roll, the airplane's wingtip contacted the runway. Thereafter, the airplane slid across the ground and came to a stop in an adjacent field.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 23,642 hours in all; 975 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 23,369 as pilot in command; 507 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,818 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 2002; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Macy'S Flying Service, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: O81 Tulelake CA at 1:00 pm
- Destination: O81 Newell CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 3,577 ft by 44 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 pm from LMT, 23 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX03LA230.