- Date
- July 12, 1999, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fargo, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4652YPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990712008919A
- Case key
- 46778
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 altitude/clearance not maintained by the pilot.
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
In a written statement, the pilot reported the following. 'I took off from my grass strip at 1050 am with 50 gallons of water containing dye. The purpose of the flight was to spray the dye while flying over the center of a string to determine the swath width and uniformity. I started my swath run about 10 ft off the ground, 1/2 mile north of the string, which was located east and west on the west end of the runway. I was about 300 ft from the string when I spotted the orange cone markers indicating a flight path over the center of the string. Attempting to line up with these cones I lowered a wing into the grain which dragged the aircraft sideways, and upon hitting the ground in this attitude the gear was torn off.'
Factual narrative
On July 12, 1999, at 1000 central daylight time, a Piper PA-25-235, N4652Y, received substantial damage on impact with terrain during a spray test swath run. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 137 agricultural flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The local flight originated at a field one mile south of the Fargo, North Dakota city limits, at 0950
In a written statement, the pilot reported the following. "I took off from my grass strip at 1050 am with 50 gallons of water containing dye. The purpose of the flight was to spray the dye while flying over the center of a string to determine the swath width and uniformity. I started my swath run about 10 ft off the ground, 1/2 mile north of the string, which was located east and west on the west end of the runway. I was about 300 ft from the string when I spotted the orange cone markers indicating a flight path over the center of the string. Attempting to line up with these cones I lowered a wing into the grain which dragged the aircraft sideways, and upon hitting the ground in this attitude the gear was torn off."
The pilot reported a total flight time of 8 hours in PA-25-235 aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4652Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-4372
- Airframe hours
- 4,040
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2C5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Fred Hector
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 1999 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- PVT
- Airport
- PVT · Hector, runway 9, 4,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 66
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total · 8 in this make and model · 1,100 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAR, 6 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.
Other investigations on N4652Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.