- Date
- August 16, 1983, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Somerton, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7104ZPiper PA25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830816041759A
- Case key
- 23822
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 acft collided with the ground during a turn in turbulent air to abort an aerial application mission because of weather. The pilot stated that he had made two passes at the field he was spraying when he noticed the flagman and farmers waving him off due to an approaching thunderstorm. After deciding he was supposed to leave the pilot stated thathe made a standard right turn to the north and encountered a wind shear. The right wing was forced down almost inverted before contact with the ground. According to the witnesses after circling to confirm the signal to leave the acft began a right turn, lost alt rapidly and contacted the ground right wing first. The yuma, AZ weather report at 1055 hours lists in the remarks section cumulonimbus clouds moving southeast to northwest through the northwest quadrant.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7104Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-2899
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Aero Applicators, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- P49 · Somerton, AZ
- Airport
- P49 · Somerton, runway 14, 2,000 × 200 ft, dirt
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,698 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 3,698 as pilot in command · 276 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- YUM, 8 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 N7104Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.