Piper PA 25-235 accident near Harvey, North Dakota, August 21, 2015
On August 21, 2015, a 1967 Piper PA 25-235, registered N4652Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Harvey, North Dakota. 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 partial loss of engine power due to a failed magneto and two cylinders with low compression. Contributing to the accident was the pilot/owner’s decision to operate the airplane with an ongoing engine issue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 2015
- Place
- Harvey, North Dakota · 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 1967 · all PA 25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N4652Y · registry record · serial 25-4372
- 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/owner noted that, during previous flights in the agricultural application airplane, he had heard a "wheezing" sound coming from the engine. During a conversation with a mechanic about the issue, the mechanic stated that the abnormal engine sound could have been due to an issue with an engine valve. Although an annual inspection was completed after the pilot first noted the issue, no maintenance was conducted to resolve the issue. Despite this, the pilot chose to continue flying the airplane. The pilot reported that, while en route to the destination field during the accident flight, he heard a noise come from the engine, followed by a partial loss of power as the engine shuddered. He subsequently made a forced landing to a wheat field. A postaccident engine examination revealed that the right magneto was not functioning, and two of the cylinders did not pass compression checks. The loss of engine power is consistent with a failed magneto and two cylinders with low compression.
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 enroute defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng rear section › Failure
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,136 hours in all; 487 in this make and model; 155 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 934 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 26, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,077 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 23, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2C5 (piston); 5,077 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Harvey ND at 11:55 pm
- Destination: Harvey ND
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on February 23, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Correspondence - Pilot Emails | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Correspondence - Mechanic Email | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N4652Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.