Piper PA-18-150 accident near Fargo, North Dakota, July 28, 1987
On July 28, 1987 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N7174B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fargo, North Dakota (Hector-Private 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1987 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fargo, North Dakota · Hector-Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N7174B · registry record · serial 185205
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT INSTALLED NEW AERIAL APPLICATION CHEMICAL TANK. THE TANK WAS FILLED WITH WATER FOR A TEST FLIGHT. PLT COULD NOT HOLD NOSE DOWN AFTER TAKEOFF. ACFT STALLED INTO TREES AND LANDED IN FIELD BEYOND TREES. ACFT NOSED OVER AND DAMAGED FUSELAGE AND VERTICAL STABILIZER. ACFT WAS OVER MAX GROSS WEIGHT.
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: 950 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,610 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 1987; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,625 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Fmh CO.
The flight
- Departed from: Fargo ND at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,640 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:48 pm from FAR, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N7174B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN87LA196.