- Date
- June 18, 1989, 14:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Clayton, KS
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Uncontrolled descent
- Aircraft
- N8846LPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890618016119A
- Case key
- 34812
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 failure of the pilot to compensate for the unfavorable wind conditions.
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 had been conducting swath runs in an agricultural spray operation. He was making a procedure turn-around to finish up the field with the remaining chemical. About half-way thru the turn the pilot reportedly encountered unfavorable wind conditions which resulted in a loss of altitude and impact with rising terrain. The pilot reported changing winds and downdrafts in the area during the swath runs. Offical wx records were not available to confirm the wind conditions. No mechanical deficiency was noted with the airplane during post accident exam.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8846L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-53-57
- Airframe hours
- 3,567
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2C5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Richard E Shaw
- Registered owner
- David Cozad-Cozad Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 26, 1989 · 31 hours before
- Departed
- Norcatur, KS
- Destination
- Clayton, KS
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,648 total · 244 in this make and model · 2,533 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 14 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.