- Date
- June 22, 2023, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Westhope, ND
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7419ZPiper PA-25-235
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administraiton, Fargo FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230622007879A
- Case key
- 192426
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 that resulted in an impact with terrain after takeoff.
Findings · 3
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, who did not hold an airframe and powerplant (A&P) certificate, stated that after he installed the overhauled engine onto the agricultural airplane, he planned on flying the airplane during the accident flight to break the engine in prior to having it inspected and signed off by an A&P mechanic with inspection authorization. There was no record of a current annual inspection of the airplane prior to the flight. The pilot loaded the airplane with 20 gallons of water to test the spray system since he planned on flying for about an hour. During climb after takeoff, the pilot lost control, and the airplane descended and impacted terrain resulting in substantial damage to both wings and fuselage. The pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7419Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-3390
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 7,249
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2B5, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Operator
- Pilot
- Registered owner
- Pilot
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 21, 2020
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- D64 · Westhope Municipal Airport, runway 32, 3,000 × 60 ft
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 48
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 30, 2021
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 400 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- MIB, 32 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 5, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 181 MB 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.