On May 12, 2007, a Piper PA-25-235 (registration N7739Z) was involved in an aviation accident near Delta, UT. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in a stall and collision with terrain. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A witness observed the airplane climb, bank abruptly right in a nose-high attitude, then dive into terrain. The wreckage was consumed by post-impact fire. The pilot had 200 hours in the accident make and model and was spraying the field for the first time. No unusual weather was reported.
Accident Overview
A witness reported observing the aircraft begin a climb at the end of a spray run on a field. The airplane subsequently made an abrupt bank to the right in a nose-high attitude and then dove toward the terrain. A post-impact fire consumed the aircraft.
Wreckage Examination
The orientation of the wreckage was consistent with the pilot being in a course reversal turn back toward the field for another spray pass at the time of impact. Ground scars and wreckage distribution indicated the airplane impacted the terrain in a nose-low, almost vertical attitude. Examination revealed that all major components were accounted for at the accident site. However, flight control continuity could not be established due to extensive fragmentation and thermal damage.
Pilot Information
The pilot was an airline pilot and had been conducting agricultural operations part-time for the past five years. He had accumulated approximately 200 hours in the accident make and model airplane. The accident flight was the first time the pilot had sprayed that specific field.
Meteorological Conditions
No unusual meteorological phenomena were reported by the closest weather station or observed by witnesses to the accident.