Piper PA-25-235 accident near Fargo, North Dakota, July 12, 1999
On July 12, 1999 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N4652Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fargo, North Dakota (Hector airport). It was a business 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 altitude/clearance not maintained by the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 1999 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fargo, North Dakota · Hector · 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
- N4652Y · registry record · serial 25-4372
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written statement, the pilot reported the following. 'I took off from my grass strip at 1050 am with 50 gallons of water containing dye. The purpose of the flight was to spray the dye while flying over the center of a string to determine the swath width and uniformity. I started my swath run about 10 ft off the ground, 1/2 mile north of the string, which was located east and west on the west end of the runway. I was about 300 ft from the string when I spotted the orange cone markers indicating a flight path over the center of the string. Attempting to line up with these cones I lowered a wing into the grain which dragged the aircraft sideways, and upon hitting the ground in this attitude the gear was torn off.'
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 1,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,040 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 24, 1999; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2C5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT at 2:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from FAR, 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.
Other NTSB records under N4652Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.