Piper PA-25-235 accident near Smith Center, Kansas, April 12, 2006
On April 12, 2006 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N9886P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Smith Center, Kansas. 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 pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush, and subsequent impact with the field and fence. A factor contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate flight planning and preparation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2006 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Smith Center, Kansas · 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
- N9886P · no longer on the register · serial 25-7556212
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said, "Everything seemed okay and I took off on runway 35 from the Smith Center Municipal Airport ... As I turned and headed east, I took out the notch of flaps, and the tail of the plane sank. The plane was flying poorly and felt like it was on the edge of a stall. The throttle and mixture were full forward, and the tachometer was indicating 2,700 rpm." The pilot said that when he put the notch of flaps back in, the airplane seemed to perform better. The pilot said, "With almost a full load [of chemical], I did not want to land back at the airport, so I proceeded to the field thinking that once I had sprayed a few passes and relieved some of the weight, the airplane would start flying better." The pilot said that as he came to the pasture, he was only able to climb the airplane to approximately 300 feet above ground level (agl). He circled the field a couple of times looking for power lines, trees, anything that might hinder spraying operations. The pilot made his first pass about 20 feet above the ground. After the pass, he made a wide right turn. The airplane would not hold altitude in the turn. Attributing the poor performance to the airplane's weight, the pilot maneuvered to make the next pass over the middle of the field so that he could "dump some of the weight." He made a second pass over the field followed by a wide left turn toward the southwest and the airport. On completion of the turn, the pilot noted he had descended to approximately 40 feet agl. In front of him were power lines that he was now lower than and had to clear in order to return to the airport. The pilot said he started a climb about three-quarters of a mile from the power lines. The airplane was approximately 40 feet agl it "went into a stall." The pilot said he leveled the wings and prepared for the crash. The airplane hit the ground flat and slid approximately 100 feet before striking a pasture fence. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. The density altitude at the time of the accident was 2,489 feet. The airplane's gross weight at the time of the accident was determined as approximately 2,993 pounds. Specifications for the PA-25-235 show an empty weight of 1,288 pounds and a maximum takeoff weight of 2,900 pounds. Civil Aeronautics Manual (CAM) 8, paragraph 8.10-4 (b) "Maximum Weight" states that establishing a maximum weight for an agricultural aircraft is not required.
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
- Flight time: 527 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 405 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,001 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 3,233 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-G185 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K82 Smith Center KS at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from KHYS, 67 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 N9886P 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.