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19980625015039A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Fargo, ND · June 25, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 25, 1998 · 16:25 local
Place
Fargo, ND
Airport
Hector International
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
HFMG
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N7174B
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI98LA220
Reported as
Piper PA18150
Reported engine
Lycoming O320A1A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,103 total303 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N7174BRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-5205 · Built 1956Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

Acft struck a power line during aerial application and crashed into a field. (.4) on June 25 1998, at 1510 central daylight time, a Piper PA-18- 150, N7174B, operated by a private pilot collided with a powerline and the terrain during an aerial application flight over his own property near Fargo, north dakota. The pilot was seriously injured and the airplane was destroyed. The 14 CFR part 137 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from a private airstrip in Fargo, at 1500 CDT. The pilot reported he loaded the airplane with fungicide at his private airstrip and took off to spray his wheat field one and a half miles away. He reported he was making his first swatch run when the airplane contacted powerlines on the north side of the field. The airplane remained airborne for approximately one quarter of a mile at which time it descended to impact with the terrain. According to an inspector from the federal aviation administration Fargo, north dakota flight standards district office the airplane was at an altitude of approximately 20 feet above the ground when it contacted the powerline with the top of the rudder.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT STRUCK A POWER LINE DURING AERIAL APPLICATION AND CRASHED INTO A FIELD. (.4) ON JUNE 25 1998, AT 1510 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-18- 150, N7174B, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT COLLIDED WITH A POWERLINE AND THE TERRAIN DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT OVER HIS OWN PROPERTY NEAR FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA. THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE 14 CFR PART 137 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP IN FARGO, AT 1500 CDT. THE PILOT REPORTED HE LOADED THE AIRPLANE WITH FUNGICIDE AT HIS PRIVATE AIRSTRIP AND TOOK OFF TO SPRAY HIS WHEAT FIELD ONE AND A HALF MILES AWAY. HE REPORTED HE WAS MAKING HIS FIRST SWATCH RUN WHEN THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED POWERLINES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE FIELD. THE AIRPLANE REMAINED AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER OF A MILE AT WHICH TIME IT DESCENDED TO IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN. ACCORDING TO AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE THE AIRPLANE WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN IT CONTACTED THE POWERLINE WITH THE TOP OF THE RUDDER.

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 CHI98LA220Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFargo, NDthe pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the powerline during a swath run. A factor associated with the accident was the powerline.Jun 25, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7174B · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19870728040199ATo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Fargo, NDAfter instalation of a new spray tank, the aircraft hit trees during takeoff. Maximum gross weight was exceeded.Jul 28, 1987 · Substantial damage