N4894X – ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL S-2R – 2012-02-05 NTSB Accident Report

On February 05, 2012, a Rockwell International S-2R (N4894X) was involved in an incident near Yellow Pine, ID. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot did not reduce the airplane’s descent rate prior to the landing flare/touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing.

While landing at a remote snow-covered airstrip with about 350 gallons of fluid in the airplane's hopper, the pilot touched down at too great of a descent rate. The airplane bounced back into the air, and then touched down again on the packed snow surface. As the airplane began to slow and the airplane's weight began to be transferred from the wings to the landing gear, one main landing gear attach fitting, which had been damaged during the initial hard touchdown, allowed its associated gear leg to partially collapse. The partial collapse of the landing gear resulted in the airplane veering to the right, whereupon the right wing impacted the snow bank along the side of the runway.

This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR12CA103. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N4894X.