- Date
- May 17, 1992, 20:25 local (May 18, 1992, 01:25 UTC)
- Place
- Iroquois, SD
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4427YPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920517015259A
- Case key
- 15263
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
An improper maneuver and failure to attain level off by the pilot in command while performing aerial application.
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
Witnesses near the scene of the accident saw the airplane performing aerial application of agricultural chemicals to a wheat field. They saw the airplane complete a swath run and then descend into the terrain as it turned to return to the field. A review of the pilots log book revealed minimal experience conducting agricultural application operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4427Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-4050
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Drew Dale Metter, doing business as Metter'S Aerial Spraying
- Registered owner
- Drew Dale Metter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 1992 · 3 hours before
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 548 total · 75 in this make and model · 516 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 44 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.