Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA 25-235 near Bushton, KS — 2016-08-25

Final reportCEN16LA334
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Date
2016-08-25
Location
Bushton, KS, USA
Aircraft
PIPER PA 25-235
Registration
N4963Y
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was applying pesticide to a field when the engine experienced a partial loss of power and did not respond to throttle inputs. The airplane collided with tall crops and subsequently came to rest inverted. Examination of the engine and associated components revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction, and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the pesticide application after initial power loss.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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