Piper PA-25-235 accident near Salisbury, Missouri, June 28, 2013
On June 28, 2013 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N4812Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Salisbury, Missouri. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane's reduced braking efficiency and the pilot's subsequent delayed decision to go around, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2013 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Salisbury, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N4812Y · registry record · serial 25-4594
- 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 landed the tailwheel-equipped airplane with a left crosswind on a dirt road. As the airplane slowed down, he applied the right rudder and brake. The pilot said the right brake was soft, and he tried to pump it several times before he decided to go around. After applying power, the pilot was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane veered off of the road and into a ditch. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that, when the right rudder pedal was in the neutral position and the brake was applied, it held pressure. However, when full right rudder and brake were applied, the brake contacted the hopper, which limited the brake's full travel. It could not be determined if the amount of pressure applied to the brake in this condition was enough to provide adequate braking power. However, even with the limitations of the brake with the rudder pedal fully extended, the pilot had made several uneventful landings before the accident and reported no problems with the brakes. He said that the accident could have been prevented if he had decided to go around sooner.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Not specified
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 11, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,105 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Salisbury MO
- Destination: Salisbury MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from VER, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 4, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.