19960611013209A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-25-235 · Cleveland, ND · June 11, 1996

Date: June 11, 1996 · 05:35 local
Place: Cleveland, ND
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: OS9G
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N9844P
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI96LA194
Reported as: Piper PA25235
Reported engine: Lycoming O540B2C5
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,688 total1,125 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N9844PRegistered now · Piper PA-25-235S/N 25-7556163 · Built 1975 Airframe modelPiper PA-25-235 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft entering field over trees crashed into the ground. (.4) the pilot reported that he was trying to spray a very small area of a field, which had wires on one end and trees on the other end. He reported that after descending down to the field, the airplane 'mushed', and he was unable to climb the airplane quick enough to clear the top of the trees. The pilot did not report any malfunction of the aircraft. (-23) during aerial application of chemical to the pilot's own farm land and crops, the aircraft struck the top of 20 ft high tree during a pull from a spray run. The aircraft then crashed into the field being sprayed. A fire began in the right wing tip fuel tank but was limited to the immediate area of the tank. The commercially certificated pilot was conducting the operation as a commercial agricultural aircraft operator under CFR 14 part 137. There were no injuries. The aircraft was destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT ENTERING FIELD OVER TREES CRASHED INTO THE GROUND. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS TRYING TO SPRAY A VERY SMALL AREA OF A FIELD, WHICH HAD WIRES ON ONE END AND TREES ON THE OTHER END. HE REPORTED THAT AFTER DESCENDING DOWN TO THE FIELD, THE AIRPLANE 'MUSHED', AND HE WAS UNABLE TO CLIMB THE AIRPLANE QUICK ENOUGH TO CLEAR THE TOP OF THE TREES. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT ANY MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. (-23) DURING AERIAL APPLICATION OF CHEMICAL TO THE PILOT'S OWN FARM LAND AND CROPS, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TOP OF 20 FT HIGH TREE DURING A PULL FROM A SPRAY RUN. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CRASHED INTO THE FIELD BEING SPRAYED. A FIRE BEGAN IN THE RIGHT WING TIP FUEL TANK BUT WAS LIMITED TO THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE TANK. THE COMMERCIALLY CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS CONDUCTING THE OPERATION AS A COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURAL AIRCRAFT OPERATOR UNDER CFR 14 PART 137. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI96LA194Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCleveland, NDfailure of the pilot to maintain sufficient altitude or clearance from trees during an aerial application operation. The wires and trees (obstructions) were related factors.Jun 11, 1996 · Destroyed