| Crash location | 43.060000°N, 95.800000°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Royal, IA
43.065529°N, 95.283888°W 26.1 miles away |
| Tail number | N6701Z |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 03 Aug 2009 |
| Aircraft type | Piper PA-25-235 |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot of the aerial application airplane stated that he was about 200 feet above ground level and was lined up about one-half mile from the field he was going to spray. He set a descent angle to clear powerlines. Approximately 30 feet above the crop he began to level off and engaged the spray handle. He said, "I felt the aircraft start to load the wings and then just give-way." The airplane descended into the crops and sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane reference the flight. His safety recommendation stated that if a shallower approach angle was used or if the level off maneuver was started higher, the accident may have been prevented.
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the crop during an aerial application maneuver.