Piper PA-25-260 accident near Whittemore, Iowa, August 13, 1983
On August 13, 1983 at about 12:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-260, registered N8559L, was destroyed in an accident near Whittemore, Iowa. 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 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
- August 13, 1983 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Whittemore, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-260 · all PA-25-260s on the register
- Registration
- N8559L · no longer on the register · serial 25-4980
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED HE WAS MAKING A TRIM SWATH IN A LOW AREA TOWARD RISING TERRAIN WHEN HE APPROACHED AN UNEXPECTED 'HIGH LINE' WIRE. THE WIRE WAS POSITIONED DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE FIELD. HE REPORTED THAT WHILE AVOIDING THE WIRE, HE WAS UNABLE TO CLEAR NEARBY TREES. AFTER COLLIDING WITH THE TREES, THE ACFT REMAINED AIRBORNE FOR ANOTHER 380 FT BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND.
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: 661 hours in all; 127 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 565 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,971 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 23, 1983; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-G1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.