Accident Piper PA-25-235 N82521, Sunday 5 August 1990

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Date:	Sunday 5 August 1990
Time:	19:22 LT
Type:	Piper PA-25-235
Owner/operator:	Sbh A/c Partnership
Registration:	N82521
MSN:	25-7756053
Year of manufacture:	1977
Total airframe hrs:	4160 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming O-540-G1A5
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Ulen, MN - United States of America
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Ulen, MN
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO OBSERVE CROP DEVELOPMENT. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED AT A LOW ALTITUDE. ALTHOUGH THE PILOT DOES NOT RECALL THE EXACT REASON FOR LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE LAST THING HE REMEMBERS WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING WING AND NOSE DOWN INTO THE TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED NOTHING OF A MECHANICAL NATURE THAT WOULD HAVE HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE FLIGHT.

Probable Cause: THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT TO AVOID THE INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO A STALL/SPIN AT LOW ALTITUDE WHICH RESULTED IN IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN.

Accident investigation: