Piper PA-25-235 accident near Argusville, North Dakota, August 23, 2025
On August 23, 2025 at about 2:35 pm local time, a 1965 Piper PA-25-235, registered N7239Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Argusville, North Dakota (Dakota Airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2025 · about 2:35 pm local time
- Place
- Argusville, North Dakota · Dakota Airport · 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
- N7239Z · no longer on the register · serial 25-3163
- 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 reported that while maneuvering at low altitude during aerial application to a field, he noticed power lines. He pushed the control stick forward to maneuver the airplane underneath the power lines and then attempted to pull back on the control stick; however, due to the proximity to the ground, the airplane impacted terrain. The fuselage and left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 855 hours in all; 280 in this make and model; 165 in the last 90 days; 82 in the last 30 days; 768 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 26, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,091 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 22, 2025; 124 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2-B5 (piston); 2,091 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NA60 Grandin ND at 2:00 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 16 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from KFAR, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KFAR 231453Z 32016G27KT 10SM BKN026 BKN033 16/11 A3013
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 January 15, 2026. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN25LA336.