Piper PA 25-260 accident near Casselton, North Dakota, May 25, 2015
On May 25, 2015 at about 9:50 pm local time, a 1968 Piper PA 25-260, registered N4793Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Casselton, North Dakota. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to monitor the flight environment for adequate terrain/obstacle clearance, which resulted in the inflight collision with power transmission line wires.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 2015 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Casselton, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 25-260 260, built 1968 · all PA 25-260s on the register
- Registration
- N4793Y · no longer on the register · serial 25-4570
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an interview with the Aviation Safety Inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot told the inspector that he was heading back to the airport when he became distracted, looked down at the floor and then looked up just in time to see the wire. The airplane struck power transmission line wires at about 73 feet above the ground. The left wing impacted the ground about 290 feet from the power transmission line wires in the direction of travel, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and empennage. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 12, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,899 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-G2A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5N8 Casselton ND at 8:30 pm
- Destination: 5N8 Casselton ND
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KFAR, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.