# Accident 19960424011979A: Piper PA25, Buffalo, MO, April 24, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 24, 1996, 11:07 local time
- Place: Buffalo, MO
- Airport: Buffalo Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.6410° N, 93.0908° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.6410&lon=-93.0908&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6254Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6254Z-1998-02-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-25 (registry code 7102502, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-25) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA25
- Reported engine: LYC O320A2B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 3,296 total, 3 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI96FA141](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96FA141) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960424011979A

## Narrative

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

(.4)THE PIPER PA-25 (ACFT), BEING USED TO DEVELOP AN STC, WAS MODIFIED BY INSTALLING 2ND SEAT IN HOPPER AREA & EXTENDING CANOPY FORWARD. ON 6/30/95, OPERATOR REPORTED TO FAA THAT FLIGHT CONFORMANCE TESTING TO DATE HAD REFLECTED NO CHANGE IN ACFT PERFORMANCE VERSUS ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION. ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH EXTERNAL AIRSPEED CALIBRATION DEVICE FOR AN AIRSPEED CALIBRATION FLIGHT, & IT WAS LOADED WITH 560 LBS OF BALLAST TO MEET MAX GROSS WT & FORWARD CG REQUIREMENTS FOR STC TESTING. WIND WAS GUSTY, & TEMP WAS 64 DEG (ABOUT 30 DEG WARMER THAN ON DAY OF PREVIOUS TEST FLIGHT). PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 21, HE MAINTAINED BEST RATE OF CLIMB SPEED & 2525-2550 ENGINE RPM, THEN BEST ANGLE OF CLIMB SPEED, BUT ACFT WOULD NOT CLIMB. HE THEN TURNED DOWNWIND & ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO SAME RUNWAY; HOWEVER, ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES & CRASHED ABOUT 1/2 MI EAST OF AIRPORT. A WITNESS SAID THAT DURING TAKEOFF, ACFT LIFTED OFF, THEN BEGAN A LEFT TURN ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY. PILOT SAID THAT A CLIMBING TURN WAS MADE TO ALLOW FOR MORE CLEARANCE FROM OBSTACLES AT SOUTH END OF AIRPORT. WITNESSES SAID ACFT THEN TURNED NORTH & REMAINED AT LOW ALTITUDE & AIRSPEED UNTIL IT HIT TREES & CRASHED. FIRE THEN ERUPTED, & ACFT WAS DEMOLISHED.  INVESITGATION REVEALED THAT STANDARD (ORIGINAL) WING ROOT& LANDING GEAR (STRUT) FAIRINGS WERE NOT INSTALLED.  PIPER REPROTED THAT REMOVAL OF WING ROOT FAINING WOULD SIGNIGICANTLY REDUCE WING LIFTING CAPABILITY & CHANGE AIRFLOW OVER HORIZONTAL TAIL, REQUIRING MORE ELEVATOR DEFLECTION FOR MANEUVERING.  ABSENCE OF LANDING GEAR FAIRINGS WOULD HAVE INCREASED DRAG, SLIGHTLY.

## 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 CHI96FA141](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96FA141), Apr 24, 1996: Piper PA-25-150 (N6254Z), Buffalo, MO, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: failure of company/operator personnel to install the wing and landing gear (strut) fairings after modifying the airplane for a supplemental type certificate (STC), and improper planning/decision by…

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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