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20150525006659A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-25-260 · Casselton, ND · May 25, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 25, 2015 · 16:15 local
Place
Casselton, ND
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
WKGG
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N4793Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA15CA090
Reported as
Piper PA-25-260
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
10,000 total5,000 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N4793YRegistration cancelled Mar 15, 2018 · Piper PA-25-260S/N 25-4570Airframe modelPiper PA-25-260Engine 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.

Accident investigation involving N4793Y, a Piper PA25-260, sn: 25-470. The aircraft was returning to Casselton regional airport after crop spraying a field south of the airport. While on a northerly heading, the aircraft collided with power lines at 73 feet above ground level causing the right wing assembly to separate from the aircraft. The canopy made contact with the second wire and was torn off the aircraft. The aircraft then rolled hard to the right and spun 270 degrees in a clockwise rotation. The left wing contacted the ground 290FT from the power line according to the ground scar. The nose of the aircraft then impacted the ground causing the aircraft to flip over on its right side. The aircraft came to rest facing south in a soybean field. The pilot was able to exit the aircraft with only minor injuries. The aircraft was completely destroyed.

There was a strong smell of fuel at the crash site near the fuel bladder. The fuel bladder had torn open on impact. Throttle position and mixture were found in the wide-open position. Pilot indicated there were no mechanical issues and the airplane was ?running fine?. During the interview the pilot stated that he was ?distracted and looking down at the floor and looked up just in time to see the wire?. He pushed the stick hard forward and felt the impact with the power line. He remembers the aircraft rolling hard right but does not remember anything after that.

As the FAA filed it

ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION INVOLVING N4793Y, A PIPER PA25-260, SN: 25-470. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNING TO CASSELTON REGIONAL AIRPORT AFTER CROP SPRAYING A FIELD SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. WHILE ON A NORTHERLY HEADING, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES AT 73 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL CAUSING THE RIGHT WING ASSEMBLY TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE CANOPY MADE CONTACT WITH THE SECOND WIRE AND WAS TORN OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED HARD TO THE RIGHT AND SPUN 270 DEGREES IN A CLOCKWISE ROTATION. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND 290FT FROM THE POWER LINE ACCORDING TO THE GROUND SCAR. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST FACING SOUTH IN A SOYBEAN FIELD. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT WITH ONLY MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED.

THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL AT THE CRASH SITE NEAR THE FUEL BLADDER. THE FUEL BLADDER HAD TORN OPEN ON IMPACT. THROTTLE POSITION AND MIXTURE WERE FOUND IN THE WIDE-OPEN POSITION. PILOT INDICATED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL ISSUES AND THE AIRPLANE WAS ?RUNNING FINE?. DURING THE INTERVIEW THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ?DISTRACTED AND LOOKING DOWN AT THE FLOOR AND LOOKED UP JUST IN TIME TO SEE THE WIRE?. HE PUSHED THE STICK HARD FORWARD AND FELT THE IMPACT WITH THE POWER LINE. HE REMEMBERS THE AIRCRAFT ROLLING HARD RIGHT BUT DOES NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING AFTER THAT.

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 GAA15CA090Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportCasselton, NDThe pilot's failure to monitor the flight environment for adequate terrain/obstacle clearance, which resulted in the inflight collision with power transmission line wires.May 25, 2015 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4793Y · 1

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

Incident 19951010043129ILow Level Operations · Casselton, NDNarrative: on final aerial application run, the pilot pulled up and aircraft lost power (engine shut off). Pilot made emergency landing on sunflower field. Aircraft sustained minor damage with no injuries to the pilot. [privacy data omitted]Oct 10, 1995 · Minor damage