20250619006009A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-36-375 · Huron, SD · June 19, 2025

Date
June 19, 2025 · 09:40 local
Place
Huron, SD
Airport
Huron Regional
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
DKAG
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N6174A
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN25LA218
Reported as
Piper PA-36-375
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-720
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
580 total8 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

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.

Statement from pilot - I went out to practice spraying a field with water in nxxxxx. I did two laps around the field, then came around to purge the booms across the middle of the field. I pushed the spray lever forward when my knuckles hit the dump lever and the gate popped open. I shut the gate, resumed purging the booms and came up out of the field stalling the airplane. At the time, I didn’t recognize it as a stall and thought the gate had come open again and it was making the airplane porpoise. I tried pulling the dump lever to get it to stop and then added full power. I continued to sink and fight the stall. I was getting extremely low and decided my only option was getting the airplane on the ground. I impacted the ground very hard tearing the landing gear off aloong with various other parts. I was able to keep the airplane straight until it caught something on the ground and whipped the airplane around 180 degrees where it came to a stop.

As the FAA filed it

STATEMENT FROM PILOT - I WENT OUT TO PRACTICE SPRAYING A FIELD WITH WATER IN NXXXXX. I DID TWO LAPS AROUND THE FIELD, THEN CAME AROUND TO PURGE THE BOOMS ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. I PUSHED THE SPRAY LEVER FORWARD WHEN MY KNUCKLES HIT THE DUMP LEVER AND THE GATE POPPED OPEN. I SHUT THE GATE, RESUMED PURGING THE BOOMS AND CAME UP OUT OF THE FIELD STALLING THE AIRPLANE. AT THE TIME, I DIDN’T RECOGNIZE IT AS A STALL AND THOUGHT THE GATE HAD COME OPEN AGAIN AND IT WAS MAKING THE AIRPLANE PORPOISE. I TRIED PULLING THE DUMP LEVER TO GET IT TO STOP AND THEN ADDED FULL POWER. I CONTINUED TO SINK AND FIGHT THE STALL. I WAS GETTING EXTREMELY LOW AND DECIDED MY ONLY OPTION WAS GETTING THE AIRPLANE ON THE GROUND. I IMPACTED THE GROUND VERY HARD TEARING THE LANDING GEAR OFF ALOONG WITH VARIOUS OTHER PARTS. I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE STRAIGHT UNTIL IT CAUGHT SOMETHING ON THE GROUND AND WHIPPED THE AIRPLANE AROUND 180 DEGREES WHERE IT CAME TO A STOP.

NTSB investigation

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

Other reports on N6174A · 1

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