- Date
- June 5, 1982, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kimball, NE
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6997ZPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 5, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820605021679A
- Case key
- 71266
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 aircraft was loaded with 100 gallons of 2-4-D and 40 gallons of fuel. During the preflight run-up check, the pilot noted a mag drop of 225 RPM. He stated that leaning the fuel mixture cleared the excessive decrease in RPM, and he observed 2500 RPM on the engine tachometer during the takeoff roll. The pilot said the aircraft did not seem to want to gain speed like it should, and he rolled about 2700 ft before lift-off. He reported that after lift-off, the aircraft did not gain speed as he climbed to about 75 ft AGL, and the engine popped and sputtered as the plane settled. During a landing in a soft field, the aircraft nosed over and the pilot was soaked with the 2-4-D chemical. The pilot reported that he would have dumped his load if he had a little more time. An examination and operational check of the engine revealed no precrash malfunction of failure. The takeoff performance data showed that the acft should have been able to clear a 50 ft obstacle in 1350 ft. the density altitude was about 6500 ft MSL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6997Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-2749
- Airframe hours
- 3,428
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Walts Ag Service
- Registered owner
- Walts Ag Service
- Departed
- 4V7 · Kimball, NE
- Destination
- 4V7 · Kimball, NE
- Airport
- 4V7 · Kimball Municipal, runway 11, 3,800 × 0 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
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 452 total · 30 in this make and model · 334 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Temperature
- 154 °F
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 N6997Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.