- Date
- May 17, 1983, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tomah, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4521YPiper PA25
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830517019819A
- Case key
- 12180
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 acft lost power and made a forced landing immediately after takeoff on an aerial application mission. The landing gear collapsed during the landing. The pilot stated that the accident occurred on the 5th flt of the day after taking off on runway 27 and when climbing to 125 ft AGL the engine began to lose power. The pilot reduced power and landed straight ahead 50 yds off the end of th takeoff runway. An examination of the engine revealed that the lower plugs contained a dark grey deposit that bridged the electrodes. This deposit weakened the spark produced by the plugs. When cleared they produced a stronger spark.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4521Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA25
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-472
- Airframe hours
- 3,201
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Boyana Airspray Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 4, 1982 · 59 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · WI
- Destination
- NONE
- Airport
- NONE · Boyers, runway 27, 3,600 × ft, asphalt
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,302 total · 80 in this make and model · 1,230 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.