- Date
- August 15, 1990, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fabens, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7178ZPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900815033059A
- Case key
- 17793
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
Engine failure due to shorting of the magneto's 'p' lead, and failure of the exhaust manifold.
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
While conducting low level cruise flight, returning from aerial application, the exhaust manifold failed causing exhaust gases to burn through the magneto's 'p' lead. As a result the engine failed and the pilot made an emergency landing in rough and uneven terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7178Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-235
- Airframe hours
- 3,205
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2/B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Curtis L. Hemme, doing business as Eagle Ag Service
- Registered owner
- Curtis L Hemme
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 23, 1990 · 70 hours before
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 10,490 total · 8,000 in this make and model · 10,490 as pilot in command · 800 in the last 90 days · 312 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.