Piper PA-25-235 accident near Preston, Idaho, June 27, 2009
On June 27, 2009 at about 1:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N8600L, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Preston, Idaho. 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
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion that resulted from the pilot's inadequate fuel planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2009 · about 1:05 pm local time
- Place
- Preston, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N8600L · no longer on the register · serial 25-5023
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was returning to the airport after an aerial application. While turning from base to final, the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot force-landed the airplane in a field; however, the field had been flood irrigated and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that usually he fuels the airplane to the same mark and then writes down the tachometer time. He felt that he may not have fueled to the mark and/or he spent more time on the field than he anticipated. There were no mechanical anomalies reported.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,500 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Simpson Aviation And Agriculture INC
The flight
- Departed from: U10 Preston ID at 11:20 am
- Destination: U10 Preston ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 12:51 pm from KLGU, 20 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.
Other NTSB records under N8600L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.