On July 15, 1995, a Piper PA-25-235 (registration N9801P) was involved in an aviation accident near Stratton, CO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S EXCESSIVE RATE OF DESCENT AS HE INITIATED THE SWATH RUN AND OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT OVER THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During his first spray run, an aerial application pilot lost descent control, struck the ground, then became airborne again but failed to accelerate or climb, subsequently hitting power lines and cartwheeling. The aircraft was approximately 400 pounds overweight at takeoff.
Accident Details
While conducting his first spray run on an aerial application flight, the pilot was unable to arrest his descent and the aircraft struck the ground. After impact, the pilot added full power and was able to get the aircraft airborne again. However, the aircraft would neither accelerate nor climb. It transited about one half mile across the field being worked before striking power lines and cartwheeling.
Pilot Actions
The pilot, on his initial spray run, encountered difficulty controlling the aircraft's descent. Despite adding full power following ground contact, the aircraft could not regain normal flight performance.
Weight Considerations
Calculations provided information that the aircraft was approximately 400 pounds over its maximum allowable gross weight at takeoff, which occurred about 15 minutes prior to the accident.