Rockwell International S-2R N8468V accident near Royal City, Washington

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from an object during an aerial application, which resulted in damage to the landing gear and led to the airplane ground looping during the subsequent landing.

NTSB analysis

During an aerial application pass, the pilot mistakenly descended the airplane too early and struck a pipe on a center pivot irrigation system. As a result, the left main landing gear sustained damage, and the pilot flew the airplane back to the airport to land. The pilot stated that the airplane ground looped upon touchdown due to the damaged landing gear. The airplane's left wing was damaged during the ground loop. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to striking the object.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR12CA229 for the full record.