# Accident 19990722037169A: Piper PA25235, Fabens, TX, July 22, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 22, 1999, 09:10 local time
- Place: Fabens, TX
- Airport: Fabens Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Location: 31.4991° N, 106.1504° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.4991&lon=-106.1504&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6736Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6736Z-2014-11-21) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-25-235 (registry code 7102504, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-25-235) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA25235
- Reported engine: LYC O540A1C5
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 27,128 total, 19,900 in this make and model, 78 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99LA197](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA197) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990722037169A

## Narrative

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

(.4) ON JULY 22, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 0910 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-25-235 AGRICULTRAL AIRPLANE, N6736Z, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED A POWER LINE, POWER LINE POLE, AND A RESIDENTIAL BRICK FENCE AFTER ENCOUNTERING WINDSHEAR DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE FABENS AIRPORT, FABENS, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, D.B.A. EAGLE AG SERVICE, INC., EL PASO, TEXAS. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. IN THE ENCLOSED PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT (NTSB FORM 6120.1/2), THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS LOADED WITH "80 GALLONS OF COTTON SEED OIL AND MATERIAL IN THE HOPPER AND 30 GALLONS OF 100LL FUEL IN THE FUEL TANK." THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TAXIED TO RUNWAY 26 AND PERFORMED A "NORMAL FULL RICH MIXTURE AND FULL THROTTLE ROLL" AND ROTATED APPROXIMATELY 1/3 DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY. HE ADDED THAT THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY AND "A WINDSHEAR HIT AND THERE WAS A LOSS OF LIFT." THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING "FULL POWER AND RED LINE RPM AND FULL RICH MIXTURE." HE STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE WITHOUT STALLING; HOWEVER, THE PROPELLER CLIPPED A POWER LINE. THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING THEN IMPACTED THE POWER LINE POLE, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED ANOTHER POWER LINE POLE WITH THE RIGHT WING. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND AND CAME TO REST AGAINST A BRICK FENCE. THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO VISITED THE ACCIDENT SITE, STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE, AND THE FUSELAGE WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED. HE ADDED THAT HE, "COULD FIND NO ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRCRAFT THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE OPERATION OF THE AIRPLANE." AT 0951, THE EL PASO WEATHER FACILITY (LOCATED 22 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE) REPORTED A FEW TOWERING CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS AT 4,000 FEET. IN THE REMARKS SECTION OF THAT REPORT IT MENTIONED TOWERING CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS WERE PRESENT TO THE SOUTHEAST. THE WIND AT EL PASO WAS REPORTED AT 160 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS.

## 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 FTW99LA197](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA197), Jul 22, 1999: Piper PA-25-235 (N6736Z), Fabens, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions. A factor was the windshear weather conditions.

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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