# Accident 19890601066849A: Piper PA25235, Preston, MD, June 1, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 1, 1989, 20:23 local time
- Place: Preston, MD
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: MWSG
- Location: 38.7108° N, 75.8995° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7108&lon=-75.8995&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4497Y (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA25235
- Reported engine: LYC O540B2B5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,044 total, 264 in this make and model, 292 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB BFO89DIG01](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO89DIG01) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890601066849A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DESCENDED TO FLY UNDER POWERLINE DURING A SWATH RUN. WHEELS CAUGHT IN WHEAT. DRAGGED DOWN HIT GROUND AND FLIPPED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB BFO89DIG01](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO89DIG01), Jun 2, 1989: Piper PA-25-235 (N4497Y), Preston, MD, substantial damage. Probable cause: PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE WITH THE WHEAT CROP AS HE PASSED UNDER THE POWERLINE DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION SWATH RUN.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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