Piper PA-25-235 accident near Sparta, Michigan, August 13, 2003
On August 13, 2003 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N8563L, was destroyed in an accident near Sparta, Michigan. 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 loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the inadvertent stall/spin encountered. The inadequate fuel supply, airspeed not being maintained, low altitude, and terrain were factors to the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 2003 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sparta, Michigan · 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
- N8563L · no longer on the register · serial 25-4986
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted the ground while maneuvering. The airplane was engaged in aerial application at the time of the accident. A witness reported that he observed the airplane heading north at approximately 100 feet above the ground and thought that the airplane was leaving the area after spraying some crops nearby. The witness stated that he began walking back to work, when he heard the aircraft engine suddenly stop, followed by the sound of the impact with the ground. The witness also stated that the engine sounded normal to him and that it did not sputter or backfire before suddenly stopping. A post-accident inspection revealed that the airplane's fuselage showed signs of rotational forces consistent with an aircraft spin. Also, no traces of aviation fuel in the airplane or surrounding the accident site were noted.
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: 351 hours in all; 162 in this make and model; 61 in the last 30 days; 287 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,325 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 8, 2002; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from KMKG, 25 miles away
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.