Rockwell S2R accident near Visalia, California, September 26, 1994
On September 26, 1994 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Rockwell S2R, registered N8874Q, was destroyed in an accident near Visalia, California. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot failed to maintain an adequate visual lookout and collided with power lines which resulted in an in-flight loss of control and subsequent collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 1994 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Visalia, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell S2R
- Registration
- N8874Q · registry record · serial 1474R
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE LEFT WING TIP OF THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH ELECTRICAL POWER LINES DURING A DESCENDING TURN PRIOR TO AN AERIAL APPLICATION. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED, IMPACTED THE GROUND, AND BURNED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT ESCAPED WITHOUT INJURY.
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
What happened, in order
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH OBJECT during maneuvering - aerial application
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN/WATER during descent - uncontrolled
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,000 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, August 31, 1994; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Gilbert Aviation Industries
The flight
- Departed from: Q31 CA at 3:25 pm
- Destination: Q31 CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°C, dew point 0°C
- Altimeter: 30 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N8874Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX94LA379.