- Date
- March 15, 1994, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lamesa, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8739LPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940315005479A
- Case key
- 19010
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 inadvertent stall. A factor was the gust of wind.
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
On the downwind turn of an aerial application pass, the pilot lost control of the aircraft and impacted the ground in a field and burned. The pilot stated that he 'pulled back on the stick resulting in a stall.' The pilot also stated that he encountered a gust of wind.
Factual narrative
On March 15, 1994, at 1230 central standard time, a Piper PA-25-235, N8739L, was substantially damaged while maneuvering near Lamesa, Texas. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the aerial application flight.
In an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot stated that, on the downwind turn of the aerial application pass, he "was at a low airspeed when I got a gust of wind or a whirlwind at which time I pulled back on the stick resulting in a stall". The aircraft impacted the terrain came to rest on a highway and burned.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8739L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-5204
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2CE, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Welch Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,497 total · 530 in this make and model · 1,457 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MAF, 45 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 N8739L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.