- Date
- September 23, 1988, 18:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Princess Anne, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7781ZPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880923040199A
- Case key
- 11440
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he had sprayed aprx 1/2 of the soybean field when smoke started to fill the cockpit. He shut off the spray, turned off the electrical system and opened the fresh air vents. He then looked back at the tail section of the airplane and noted that the area near the battery was glowing red and emitting smoke. He then decided to make a forced landing fearing that the airplane would catch fire if the flight was continued. The landing was made onto a curved dirt road. While trying to negotiate a turn, the right wing contacted a dirt bank and the airplane veered into a ditch along the road. Inspection of the airplane revealed that battery cable was corroded, shorted out and was beginning to burn.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7781Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-3983
- Airframe hours
- 2,591
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Agri-Air, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Helicopter Applicators, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 28, 1988 · 222 hours before
- Departed
- Atlantic, VA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,397 total · 934 in this make and model · 1,350 as pilot in command · 146 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBY, 11 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7781Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.