Piper PA-25-235 accident near Faulkton, South Dakota, June 21, 1997
On June 21, 1997 at about 1:15 am local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N7378Z, was destroyed in an accident near Faulkton, South Dakota. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inability to see the power lines and the power lines. Factors contributing to this accident were the trees and the sunglare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 1997 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Faulkton, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N7378Z · no longer on the register · serial 25-3335
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness said that he saw the airplane make a low pass to the west. The airplane was approximately 1/4-mile north of his location. He saw the airplane come back around for another pass. The witness said that on the second pass the airplane dipped down in altitude a slight bit after spraying and then burst into flames. The farmer said that the sun was low in the sky at the time. A deputy sheriff, who responded to the accident site said that he met the pilot of the airplane along side a dirt road. The deputy sheriff said that the pilot told him that he hit some power lines and crashed. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies. Examination of three north-south running suspended power lines, revealed that two of the lines were severed. The power lines in the area were suspended approximately 20 feet above the ground. One of the poles supporting the power lines was hidden by trees.
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: 304 hours in all; 240 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,570 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 12, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 3FU SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.