Piper PA-36-285 accident near Fergus Falls, Minnesota, August 23, 1985
On August 23, 1985 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-36-285, registered N40920, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fergus Falls, Minnesota. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1985 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fergus Falls, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-36-285 · all PA-36-285s on the register
- Registration
- N40920 · registry record · serial 36-7460009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHEN THE PLT ENTERED A STEEP RIGHT TURN AT THE END OF A SWATH RUN THE ACFT BEGAN TO LOOSE ALT SO THE PLT ADDED FULL PWR AND LEVELED THE WINGS. WHEN THE ACFT WAS CLOSE TO THE GROUND AND SLOW THE PLT NOTICED A ROW OF TREES ALONG THE FLT PATH. DURING A PULL UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLEAR THE TREES, THE ACFT STALLED AND CONTACTED THE TREES FOLLOWED BY THE TERRAIN.
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: 381 hours in all; 104 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 273 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,308 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 7, 1985; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 6-285-C(2) (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFM Fergus Falls MN at 9:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from FFM, 6 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.