Aero Commander S2R accident near Malone, Florida, September 9, 1998
On September 9, 1998 at about 2:02 pm local time, a Aero Commander S2R, registered N3652X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Malone, Florida. 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
a loss of engine power due to a chaffed ignition wires, resulting in a forced landing and subsequent impact with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 1998 · about 2:02 pm local time
- Place
- Malone, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander S2R · all S2Rs on the register
- Registration
- N3652X · no longer on the register · serial 1885R
- 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 stated that he was approximately three miles west of the airstrip when the engine lost all power. He stated, '...I was 600 to 700 feet AGL., I first pushed the throttle to full power position then started pumping the wobble pump and got no response.' The pilot stated that he began looking for an area to land, he picked out an area between two trees. According to the pilot during the landing, the airplane went between two trees and the wings were sheared then he impacted the ground. The engine was examined November, 1998. The FAA inspector's report showed that the following was found, '...wiring to magnetos had shielding completely chaffed from [the] wires and bare wires were present where it passed through the firewall of the aircraft...non aircraft wiring and splices were installed in the aircraft...suspect magnetos were grounded in flight.'
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: 16,780 hours in all; 1,550 in this make and model; 260 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days; 16,168 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,759 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 11, 1998; 211 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pzl-Kalisz PZL-3S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; scat at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from MAI, 15 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.
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.