- Date
- August 17, 1991, 16:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Seagraves, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6261ZPiper PA-25-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910817034769A
- Case key
- 18125
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 improper inflight planning which resulted in loss of aircraft control due to wake turbulence.
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 formation aerial application, control of the aircraft was lost during an encounter with wake turbulence from the lead aircraft. Altitude was insufficient to effect recovery.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6261Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-322
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C2C, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- South Plains Aero
- Registered owner
- South Plains Aero
- Departed
- Q26 · Brownfield, TX
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 350 in this make and model · 578 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- 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.