Piper PA-25-235 accident near Colquitt, Georgia, August 21, 2005
On August 21, 2005 at about 9:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N7399Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Colquitt, Georgia (Colquitt, Ga airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain visual lookout and clearance from obstacles while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a tree and subsequent uncontrolled descent into the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 2005 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Colquitt, Georgia · Colquitt, Ga · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N7399Z · no longer on the register · serial 25-3362
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had been flying spray loads over cotton crops throughout the day. A witness in a residence reported he heard the airplane's engine "cut off and then the crash right after." Examination of the accident site revealed the airplane was inverted at the edge of an open field bordered by a treeline. An approximate 8-inch area on the leading edge of left wing approximately 3 feet inboard of the wing tip was crushed from the leading edge aft to the spar, and the spar was damaged. The wing skin in the crushed area showed circular, accordion-type deformation. A freshly-broken tree limb approximately 5 inches in diameter was on the ground between the treeline and the wreckage, and one tree within the treeline appeared to have a fresh break approximately 60 feet above the ground. The tree with the broken limb appeared to jut further into the field than the other trees in the treeline. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction was observed. The propeller was attached, and each propeller blade showed twist deformation, s-shaped bending, chordwise scratches, and the absence of paint along the leading edge and camber side. The FAA inspector who responded to the scene observed a series of slash-type ground scars in the dirt and grass along the wreckage debris path.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,441 hours in all
- Last flight review: February 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,433 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2005; 489.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-B2C5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Colquitt GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KABY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.