- Date
- July 17, 2010, 19:15 local (Jul 18, 2010, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Cairo, NE
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9552PPiper PA-25-260
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100718041419A
- Case key
- 76680
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot departed from a 2,500-foot private strip on the third of four planned aerial application flights. During the takeoff the pilot noted that the wind had shifted from the northeast to the east, and was about 5 knots. Shortly after takeoff the single-engine airplane began a slow descent. The pilot attempted to correct the problem by turning into the wind while heading to lower ground; however, the airplane continued to descend until it impacted terrain. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane and that the accident could have been prevented by having a lighter load, aborting the takeoff, dumping the load just after takeoff, or dumping the load instead of making a 90-degree turn.
Factual narrative
The pilot departed from a 2,500 foot private strip on the third, of four planned aerial application flights. During the take-off the pilot noted that the wind had shifted from the northeast to the east, and was about 5 knots. Shortly after lift-off, the single-engine airplane began a slow descent. The pilot attempted to correct the problem by turning into the wind while heading to lower ground; however, the airplane continued to descent until it impacted terrain. The pilot stated that there were no pre-accident mechanical problems with the airplane, and that the accident could have been prevented by having a lighter load, aborting the take-off, dumping the load just after take-off, or dumping the load instead of making a 90-degree turn.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9552P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-7405666
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540 SERIES, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Cairo, NE
- Destination
- Cairo, NE
- Airport
- Private airfield
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
- 52
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 15, 2009
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 506 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.