- Date
- June 20, 1989, 06:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Conrad, MT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7001ZPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890620016259A
- Case key
- 17555
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 see the guy wire in time to avoid colliding with it.
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 was applying herbicide on wheat. He was working alone and there were no witnesses to the accident. Examination of the accident site revealed that the aircraft collided with a guy wire supporting a powerline tower. The left wing tip hit the guy wire as the aircraft passed under the wire and the right wing collided with the ground 30 ft beyond the wire. The weather and sun glare were not considered factors in the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7001Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-2753
- Airframe hours
- 2,428
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Mellott, Thomas H.
- Registered owner
- Mellott, Thomas H
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 13, 1989 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- S01 · Conrad, MT
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,850 total · 1,400 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 32 knots, gusting 48
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CTB, 29 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.