Piper PA-25-235 N7378Z

Summary

On 21 June 1997 at about 01:15 local time, a Piper PA-25-235 registered N7378Z was involved in an accident near Faulkton, South Dakota, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 June 1997 at 01:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Faulkton, South Dakota, United States

Coordinates

45.0300, -99.1209

Aircraft

Piper PA-25-235

Registration

N7378Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI97LA174

1 person was seriously injured.

the pilot's inability to see the power lines and the power lines. Factors contributing to this accident were the trees and the sunglare.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness said that he saw the airplane make a low pass to the west. The airplane was approximately 1/4-mile north of his location. He saw the airplane come back around for another pass. The witness said that on the second pass the airplane dipped down in altitude a slight bit after spraying and then burst into flames. The farmer said that the sun was low in the sky at the time. A deputy sheriff, who responded to the accident site said that he met the pilot of the airplane along side a dirt road. The deputy sheriff said that the pilot told him that he hit some power lines and crashed. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies. Examination of three north-south running suspended power lines, revealed that two of the lines were severed. The power lines in the area were suspended approximately 20 feet above the ground. One of the poles supporting the power lines was hidden by trees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.