Piper PA-36-300 N3760E

Summary

On 25 June 1998 at about 18:45 local time, a Piper PA-36-300 registered N3760E was involved in an accident near Mobridge, South 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

25 June 1998 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Mobridge, South Dakota, United States

Coordinates

45.5398, -100.4292

Aircraft

Piper PA-36-300

Registration

N3760E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mobridge → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI98LA219

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power lines. Factors associated with the accident were the power lines, and the separation of the vertical stabilizer and rudder which resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain directional control of the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was spraying a field of wheat and was working under non-active power lines going to an abandoned farmstead. During one of the passes the airplane hit one of the wires separating the vertical stabilizer and rudder from the aircraft. The pilot stated that the directional control was lost, but the aircraft continued to fly, wings level, in a skidding turn to the right. Due to an approaching tree line the pilot reduced the engine power and the aircraft impacted level terrain with the wings level. The pilot stated that the aircraft slid to the left, folding the left main gear under the wing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.