Piper PA-25-235 accident near Omega, Oklahoma, May 11, 2015
On May 11, 2015 at about 1:15 am local time, a 1965 Piper PA-25-235, registered N7279Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Omega, Oklahoma. 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
Improper base metal preparation or contamination of the No. 5 cylinder wall before it was coated, which resulted in the coating peeling off of the cylinder wall and contaminating the engine oil and the subsequent partial loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 2015 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Omega, Oklahoma · 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, built 1965 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N7279Z · no longer on the register · serial 25-3219
- 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 commercial pilot was conducting an agricultural application flight. During the flight, the airplane was unable to maintain altitude, and the pilot conducted an emergency landing on a dirt road. During the landing roll, the left wing struck a fence, crushing the leading edge. The pilot reported that the oil temperature was extremely high and that the engine was having a problem producing power. A postaccident engine examination revealed metal particles in the engine oil, oil pump, and oil sump. The oil was black and smelled burnt. Coating was peeling off of the No. 5 cylinder wall. Energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis of the cylinder base metal produced a spectrum consistent with a steel alloy; the spectrum of the coating was consistent with a nickel-silicon carbide. It is likely that the coating was peeling either due to improper base metal preparation or contamination of the cylinder wall before it was coated, which resulted in poor bond strength between the coating and inner wall of the barrel. The metal particles from the peeled coating contaminated the engine oil and resulted in the partial loss of power.
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 engine power (partial) during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- cause Organizational issues › Development › Manufacture/production › Equipment manufacture › Manufacturer
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: March 3, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,396 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 18, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2B5 (piston); 1,971 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KJWG Watonga OK
- Destination: KJWG Watonga OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 am from KJWG, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.