Piper PA-25-235 accident near Leonard, North Dakota, July 26, 1982
On July 26, 1982 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N4461Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leonard, North Dakota (Leonard Municipal airport). 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
- July 26, 1982 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Leonard, North Dakota · Leonard Municipal · 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
- N4461Y · registry record · serial 254111
- 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 STATED THE ENGINE LOST POWER AS HE PULLED UP FROM THE FINAL SPRAY RUN. THE AIRCRAFT WING CONTACTED A TREE AND A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A BARLEY FIELD. POST FLIGHT EXAM SHOWED NO REASON FOR THE POWER LOSS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,478 hours in all; 494 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 2,323 as pilot in command; 120 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,626 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 150 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: GWR Gwinner ND at 7:15 am
- Destination: Leonard ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 145°F (63°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from FAR, 20 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.