Piper PA-25-235 accident near Kenmare, North Dakota, July 5, 1996
On July 5, 1996 at about 2:40 am local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N7730Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kenmare, North Dakota. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 pilot's improper refueling procedure, inadequate preflight and the inadvertent stall. A factor related to the accident was the low altitude at which the loss of power occurred.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 1996 · about 2:40 am local time
- Place
- Kenmare, 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 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N7730Z · registry record · serial 25-3904
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he 'was returning to the airport when the engine quit. I attempted to turn left to land into the wind and to avoid a road and a power line in front of the airplane. The airplane contacted the ground in a nose down and left wing down position, and then pivoted 180 degrees to point straight north.' Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of fuel in the airplane. No evidence of fuel was found at the site. The pilot stated that he did not know how much fuel he had in the airplane. He said that his normal fueling procedure was to fuel until the automatic shut-off on the fueling nozzle cut off. The pilot said that he could not track how much fuel he put into the airplane, because he fueled the airplane from his own 100 gallon tank which did not have a meter.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,100 hours in all; 1,410 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 120 in the last 30 days; 3,950 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,185 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 26, 1996; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ND26 at 1:15 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:48 am from MOT, 40 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.