- Date
- August 25, 2007, 10:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Soda Springs, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8600LPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070825018219A
- Case key
- 66518
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's inadequate in-flight planning/decision making and subsequent loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing factors were the terrain conditions (soft and rough/uneven) and the tailwind weather 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 said that he departed at approximately 0820 to apply mosquito larvicide to local wetlands. Upon completion of his application runs, he started a climb towards the airport and experienced a loss of engine power. He selected a spot for a forced landing, which proved to be pasture with heavy marsh grass, and too soft and rough for a downwind landing. During rollout, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane ground looped to the right. Postaccident evaluation of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear failed, a rib was bent in the right wing, and both wing tips were damaged. The pilot reported that the cause of the engine failure was fuel exhaustion.
Factual narrative
The pilot said that he departed at approximately 0820 to apply mosquito larvicide to local wetlands. Upon completion of his application runs, he started a climb towards the airport and experienced a loss of engine power. He selected a spot for a forced landing, which proved to be pasture with heavy marsh grass, and too soft and rough for a downwind landing. During rollout, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane ground looped to the right. Postaccident evaluation of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear failed, a rib was bent in the right wing, and both wing tips were damaged.
The pilot reported that the cause of the engine failure was fuel exhaustion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8600L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-5023
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Hill AG Air
- Registered owner
- Curtis E. Hill
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- U70 · Soda Springs, ID
- Destination
- U70 · Soda Springs, ID
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 601 total · 100 in this make and model · 65 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- U78
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 N8600L · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.