- Date
- September 21, 1995, 07:53 local (14:53 UTC)
- Place
- Marana, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8551LPiper PA-25
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 29, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950921036219A
- Case key
- 29226
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 misjudged clearance from the power lines.
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 pilot said he misjudged the power lines and collided with them during a pullup from an aerial application.
Factual narrative
On September 21, 1995, at 0753 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-25, N8551L, collided with some power lines near Marana, Arizona, during an aerial application maneuver while on a 14 CFR Part 137 flight. The aircraft received substantial damage and the pilot was reportedly not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time.
According to the police report, the pilot told an officer that he misjudged the power lines during the pullup and the propeller and the wing tip struck the power lines. The pilot was able to land the aircraft back at the airstrip.
The accident was initially reported as an incident. The substantial damage wasn't confirmed until 10/03/95.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8551L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-4971
- Airframe hours
- 5,542
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Marsh Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1995 · 37 hours before
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
- 60
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 22,000 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 21,500 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 5 knots, gusting 20
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.