Piper PA-25-235 accident near Shelley, Idaho, August 21, 1984
On August 21, 1984 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N6474L, was destroyed in an accident near Shelley, Idaho. 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).
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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
- August 21, 1984 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Shelley, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N6474L · registry record · serial 25-5484
- 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 INDICATED THAT HE WAS EN ROUTE TO SPRAY A LOCAL FIELD WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. HE DIVERTED TO AN AG STRIP NEARBY, BUT THE ENGINE CEASED OPERATION PRIOR TO REACHING THE STRIP. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK AN IRRIGATION PIVOT DURING THE FORCED LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED BY A POST CRASH FIRE. NO REASON FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE COULD BE DETERMINED.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,400 hours in all; 2,200 in this make and model; 315 in the last 90 days; 130 in the last 30 days; 4,210 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Shelley ID at 6:55 pm
- Destination: Shelley ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 SEA84LA208.