Piper PA-25-235 N7781Z

Summary

On 23 September 1988 at about 22:30 local time, a Piper PA-25-235 registered N7781Z, operated by Agri-Air, Inc., was involved in an accident near Princess Anne, Maryland, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

23 September 1988 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Princess Anne, Maryland, United States

Coordinates

38.1998, -75.6902

Aircraft

Piper PA-25-235

Registration

N7781Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Agri-Air, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atlantic → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO88LA084

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD SPRAYED APRX 1/2 OF THE SOYBEAN FIELD WHEN SMOKE STARTED TO FILL THE COCKPIT. HE SHUT OFF THE SPRAY, TURNED OFF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND OPENED THE FRESH AIR VENTS. HE THEN LOOKED BACK AT THE TAIL SECTION OF THE AIRPLANE AND NOTED THAT THE AREA NEAR THE BATTERY WAS GLOWING RED AND EMITTING SMOKE. HE THEN DECIDED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING FEARING THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD CATCH FIRE IF THE FLIGHT WAS CONTINUED. THE LANDING WAS MADE ONTO A CURVED DIRT ROAD. WHILE TRYING TO NEGOTIATE A TURN, THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED A DIRT BANK AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED INTO A DITCH ALONG THE ROAD. INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT BATTERY CABLE WAS CORRODED, SHORTED OUT AND WAS BEGINNING TO BURN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.