Piper PA-25-235 N6794Z

Summary

On 16 August 2001 at about 16:15 local time, a Piper PA-25-235 registered N6794Z was involved in an accident near Kenmare, North Dakota, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 August 2001 at 16:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Kenmare, North Dakota, United States

Coordinates

48.6694, -102.0797

Aircraft

Piper PA-25-235

Registration

N6794Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kenmare → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI01LA281

Nobody was injured.

The pilot failed to maintain clearance with the terrain during the aerial application flight. Factors associated with the accident were the high vegetation and the pilot's diverted attention during the flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane collided with the terrain during an aerial application flight. The pilot reported he was applying Roundup RT on a flax field which contained kochia weeds which were about 4 feet tall and the flax was about 18 - 20 inches tall. He reported that this was the second load that he was spaying on this field and he had been dropping flags to mark the spot where he turned on the chemicals. He reported that he flew in over wires and noticed what he thought was a flag directly in line with the pass. In addition, the pilot reported, "I use a Satloc GPS marking system with the light bar attached between the chemical tank and the fuel tank. If the spray is turned on after being turned off while on the same pass, the GPS light bar will blink indicating that the airplane is on a pass that has already been sprayed." The pilot looked at the light bar which was blinking at which time he felt the "...airplane lurch as the wheels touched either the weeds or the flax crop. At the same time as the plane lurched, the chemical in the tank sloshed out of the top of the tank and covered the windshield." The pilot reported that he kept the nose of the airplane up and the airplane settled into the field.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.