19961008031249A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-502 · Idalou, TX · October 8, 1996

Date: October 8, 1996 · 17:45 local
Place: Idalou, TX
Airport: Private
Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: TTKG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4533H
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW97LA012
Reported as: Airtrc AT502
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A15AG
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,229 total2,188 in this make and model316 in the last 90 days

N4533HRegistration cancelled Mar 18, 2003 · Air Tractor AT-502S/N 502-0105 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502 Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60ATurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Over gross weight. Failed to fly or abort. Ran off end strip. Dumped load to late. High density altitude factor. (-23) on October 8, 1996, at 1745 central daylight time, air tractor, N4533H, was substantially damaged during takeoff from a Private dirt strip near Idalou, Texas. The intended flight was for an aerial application of cotton defoliant in the local area. The pilot reported that the aircraft was loaded to very near maximum gross take off weight. He also reported that he had miss-calculated the take off performance of the aircraft and opted to use the east-west runway that was 2500 feet, instead of the north-south runway that is almost 5000 feet in length. Inspection of the aircraft revealed the flaps to be in the retracted position. The left main gear collapsed and the left wing and fuselage suffered substantial damage. The pilot was uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

OVER GROSS WEIGHT. FAILED TO FLY OR ABORT. RAN OFF END STRIP. DUMPED LOAD TO LATE. HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE FACTOR. (-23) ON OCTOBER 8, 1996, AT 1745 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AIR TRACTOR, N4533H, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING TAKEOFF FROM A PRIVATE DIRT STRIP NEAR IDALOU, TEXAS. THE INTENDED FLIGHT WAS FOR AN AERIAL APPLICATION OF COTTON DEFOLIANT IN THE LOCAL AREA. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED TO VERY NEAR MAXIMUM GROSS TAKE OFF WEIGHT. HE ALSO REPORTED THAT HE HAD MISS-CALCULATED THE TAKE OFF PERFORMANCE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND OPTED TO USE THE EAST-WEST RUNWAY THAT WAS 2500 FEET, INSTEAD OF THE NORTH-SOUTH RUNWAY THAT IS ALMOST 5000 FEET IN LENGTH. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE FLAPS TO BE IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE LEFT WING AND FUSELAGE SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW97LA012Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportIdalou, TXthe pilot's improper planning/decision, which resulted in an overrun during takeoff and an encounter with cotton (crop) and rough/uneven terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: the excessive loading of the airplane for the existing conditions, the…Oct 8, 1996 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4533H · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19990528006059ACherry Valley, ARAcft was departing private strip 6 miles w of Cherry Valley ar. Unable to fly out of ground effect, stalled, collided with terrain just north of strip. (-23)FTW99LA152May 28, 1999 · Substantial damage