On June 18, 1986, a Piper PA-25-260 (registration N82539) operated by Quality Spraying was involved in an aviation accident near Toston, MT. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot reported that his aircraft began to settle during a turn-around after the second swath run on an agricultural application flight. Despite dumping the chemical, the aircraft continued to settle and struck the ground. The turn-around was made beside a butte, and the pilot encountered 'bad air'. Density altitude at the time was about 5,000 feet.
Incident Overview
A pilot conducting an agricultural application flight reported that after taking off from an airstrip approximately one mile from the field being treated, the aircraft began to settle during a turn-around following the second swath run. The pilot dumped the chemical load in an attempt to mitigate the settling, but the aircraft continued to descend and ultimately impacted the ground.
Environmental Conditions
The turn-around maneuver was performed beside a butte, where the pilot reported encountering 'bad air.' The calculated density altitude at the time and location of the accident was approximately 5,000 feet. No further weather details were provided.
Aircraft and Engine Status
The pilot stated that there was no malfunction of the aircraft or its engine. The exact aircraft type, registration, and engine configuration were not specified in the report.
