- Date
- June 24, 1992, 08:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ramona, SD
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4601YPiper PA-25-235/250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920624021709A
- Case key
- 15265
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain a visual lookout while maneuvering during aerial application of agricultural chemicals.
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 accident airplane collided with a tree during an aerial application swath run. It remained airborne for approximately 1/4 mile and then collided with terrain. The pilot told local law enforcement authorities that he 'looked down at his gauges and when he looked up he noticed he was going to hit the top of a tree.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4601Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235/250 (PA-25-235/)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 254293
- Airframe hours
- 3,621
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Lentsch, Bruce L, doing business as Lentsch Aerial Spraying
- Registered owner
- Lentsch, Bruce L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 20, 1992 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Howard, SD
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
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 2,600 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.