Piper PA-25-260D accident near Richfield, Utah, May 16, 1998
On May 16, 1998 at about 3:38 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-260D, registered N9754P, was destroyed in an accident near Richfield, Utah. 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 improper planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power; and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 1998 · about 3:38 pm local time
- Place
- Richfield, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-260D · all PA-25-260Ds on the register
- Registration
- N9754P · no longer on the register · serial 25-7556021
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot remembered little of the accident. Witnesses said that the pilot had been spraying a field with a 50-50 mixture of Furadan (a weed killer) and Dimate 4E. They reported hearing the engine 'cut out,' 'stall,' or 'stop.' They said the pilot 'got it started again,' then it 'cut out,' 'stalled,' or 'stopped' again. The airplane was then seen to 'dive,' 'nose dive,' or go 'straight down.' An FAA inspector examined the undamaged wing tanks and found no evidence of fuel. No fuel was detected in the gascolator, the fuel line between the gascolator and fuel pump, or the carburetor. A small amount of fuel was found in the carburetor inlet fuel line.
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: 551 hours in all; 61 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 480 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,468 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 1998; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-G1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RIF Richfield UT at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from MLF, 60 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.