N9552P

Substantial
Minor

PIPER PA-25-260S/N: 25-7405666

Accident Details

Date
Sunday, July 18, 2010
NTSB Number
CEN10CA410
Location
Cairo, NE
Event ID
20100719X43835
Coordinates
40.922779, -98.669998
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
1
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N9552P
Make
PIPER
Serial Number
25-7405666
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
1974
Model / ICAO
PA-25-260PA25
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
DEFTY PETER A
Address
PO BOX 1603
Status
Deregistered
City
DAVIS
State / Zip Code
CA 95617-1603
Country
United States

Analysis

The pilot departed from a 2,500 foot private strip on the third, of four planned aerial application flights. During the take-off the pilot noted that the wind had shifted from the northeast to the east, and was about 5 knots. Shortly after lift-off, the single-engine airplane began a slow descent. The pilot attempted to correct the problem by turning into the wind while heading to lower ground; however, the airplane continued to descent until it impacted terrain. The pilot stated that there were no pre-accident mechanical problems with the airplane, and that the accident could have been prevented by having a lighter load, aborting the take-off, dumping the load just after take-off, or dumping the load instead of making a 90-degree turn.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN10CA410