Rockwell S2R accident near Belzoni, Mississippi, July 13, 1996
On July 13, 1996 at about 11:15 am local time, a Rockwell S2R, registered N3695X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Belzoni, Mississippi. 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
fatigue failure of the #5 cylinder skirt, which resulted in debris that caused the oil scavenge pump to fail, oil starvation, cam drive seizure, loss of engine power, and a subsequent forced landing in a field of cotton.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 1996 · about 11:15 am local time
- Place
- Belzoni, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell S2R
- Registration
- N3695X · registry record · serial 1910R
- 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 reported that shortly after lift-off on an aerial application flight, a partial power loss occurred. He was about to turn back to the airstrip, when the engine made a 'loud bang' and lost all power. Subsequently, the airplane was damaged during a forced landing in a cotton field. An engine teardown revealed that the #5 cylinder skirt had failed, which resulted in metal pieces spreading throughout the engine crankcase and oil system. Subsequently, the oil scavenger pump failed and the cam drive became galled and seized. There was evidence of fatigue where the #5 cylinder skirt had failed.
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: 2,729 hours in all; 1,583 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 2,657 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,243 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 16, 1996; 177 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Gary Flying Service INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 am from GWO
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.