- Date
- May 5, 2008, 07:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mountain Grove, MO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6944ZPiper PA-25-235
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20080505835569A
- Case key
- 67934
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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the power line.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was performing aerial application of liquid fertilizer onto a hay meadow. During the third pass, which was south of the previous two passes, the airplane contacted an unmarked power line that the pilot did not observe until "I was on it." The airplane then struck two trees and cart wheeled into terrain.
Factual narrative
The pilot was performing aerial application of liquid fertilizer onto a hay meadow. During the third pass, which was south of the previous two passes, the airplane contacted an unmarked power line that the pilot did not observe until "I was on it." The airplane then struck two trees and cart wheeled into terrain. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. Examination of the airplane showed the wings were bent, fuselage was twisted and buckled, and the engine firewall was buckled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6944Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-2689
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2B5, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Darter, Lloyd R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- 1MO · Mountain Grove, MO
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
- 68
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 11,521 total · 2,721 in this make and model · 29 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
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 N6944Z · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.