Aero Commander S2R accident near Center, CO
On August 19, 2016, an Aero Commander S2R (airplane) was involved in an accident near Center, CO. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 19, 2016
- Place
- Center, CO
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander S2R · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.745°N, 106.026°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160819X53243
Official records · CEN16FA328
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT**This report was modified on 8/2/2018.** On August 19, 2016, about 1053 mountain daylight time, an Aero Commander S2R airplane, N8870Q, impacted terrain near Center, Colorado, during a low-level agricultural spray flight. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to Air Care Leasing LLC and operated by Rocky Mountain Ag under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an agricultural application flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Monte Vista Municipal Airport (MVI), Monte Vista, Colorado. A review of the operator's agricultural application records showed that the pilot departed for his first application flight of the day about 0645. The pilot returned to base, waited while the airplane was reloaded with chemical, and departed five additional times, with the last departure about 1025. According to the pilot's cell phone records, the pilot was texting during periods of time coinciding with flight times. During the accident flight, the pilot sent a text message at 1038. Police dispatch records indicated that the initial call to 911 to report the accident was received at 1053. According to witness statements, the airplane was making spray passes over a field, and the flight appeared to be "normal." One witness reported that the airplane made a turn, "pulled up to the sky," and appeared to "stall at the top of the turn." The airplane "got quiet" and then spiraled toward the ground hitting
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during a low-level maneuver, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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Browse: Colorado · Aero Commander aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
