- Date
- April 19, 1985, 11:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Walnut Grove, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9636PPiper PA25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850419076029A
- Case key
- 24495
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 flew into the ground on a procedure turnaround while spraying wheat with a toxic chemical. The acft did not stall and the engine sound did not change. A separated aileron crossover cable showed no fatigue. The cholinesterase level in the pilot's blood was normal. Cholinesterase is inhibited by toxic pesticides.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9636P
- Reported as
- Piper PA25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-7405802
- Airframe hours
- 2,596
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2C5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Victor G Spezia, doing business as Spezia Flying Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 1984 · 112 hours before
- Airport
- Spezia
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
- 42
- 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
- 5,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °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.