- Date
- August 23, 2025, 09:35 local (14:35 UTC)
- Place
- Argusville, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7239ZPiper PA-25-235
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 15, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250823011449A
- Case key
- 200843
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 clearance from terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.
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 reported that while maneuvering at low altitude during aerial application to a field, he noticed power lines. He pushed the control stick forward to maneuver the airplane underneath the power lines and then attempted to pull back on the control stick; however, due to the proximity to the ground, the airplane impacted terrain. The fuselage and left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7239Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-3163
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 2,091
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2-B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Zachary Wolf
- Registered owner
- Wischer Enterprises LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 22, 2025 · 124 hours before
- Departed
- NA60 · Grandin, ND
- Airport
- NA60 · Dakota Airport
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS
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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 26, 2025
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 855 total · 280 in this make and model · 768 as pilot in command · 165 in the last 90 days · 82 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 16 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KFAR, 9 nm away
- METAR
- KFAR 231453Z 32016G27KT 10SM BKN026 BKN033 16/11 A3013
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 15, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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.