- Date
- June 23, 1998, 12:09 local (17:09 UTC)
- Place
- Stephen, MN
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N82585Piper PA-36-375
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980623014819A
- Case key
- 10930
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 visual lookout not being maintained by the pilot. A factor to the accident was the transmission wire.
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 pilot stated that he was finishing his last spray run when he struck an unmarked power line passing between a farmyard and a tree line near the Red River. Post accident investigation showed that the aircraft's right wing impacted the upper wire of the two wire system. No engine or aircraft anomalies were found with the aircraft.
Factual narrative
On June 23, 1998, at 1209 central daylight time, a Piper PA-36-375, N82585, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the terrain, after a loss of control resulting from an in flight collision with a power line, near Stephen, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and the flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot suffered serious injuries as a result of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight was being operated by Jack's Aerial Spray Service, Drayton, North Dakota. The flight originated at the Drayton Municipal Airport, near Drayton, North Dakota at 1125.
According to the pilot's written statement, the pilot stated that he was finishing his last spray run when he struck an unmarked power line passing between a farmyard and a tree line near the Red River. Post accident investigation showed that the aircraft's right wing impacted the upper wire of the two wire system. No engine or aircraft anomalies were found with the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82585
- Reported as
- Piper PA-36-375
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2302014
- Airframe hours
- 2,355
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-720, 400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Kl Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 20, 1998 · 116 hours before
- Departed
- D29 · Drayton, ND
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 6,300 total · 3,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GFK, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.