What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Loud pop on takeoff roll. Lost rudder control. Exited rwy into cornfield. Had failed to lock the tailwheel. (-23) Mr. Adams attempted takeoff for his fourth spraying flight of the day. The chemical hopper was partially filled with chemicals. The takeoff roll was towards the east with a northeast wind at approximately 5 knots. The pilot reported a loud noise at the rear of the aircraft and an excessive vibration. Mr. Adams raised the tail with a lessening of vibration and was unable to maintain directional control of the aircraft. The aircraft left the runway to the right, through a fence and into a cornfield. The left main gear departed on striking the surface and ground looped to the right. The aircraft came to rest approximately 45 degrees from the runway and takeoff direction. Inspection of the aircraft revealed complete continuity of all controls, including the rudder and tailwheel locking mechanism. No mechanical defect existed that could cause the loss of rudder control. All springs, cables, pulleys and guides were intact and functional. The tailwheel was directly under the tailwheel spring assembly with all four attachment bolts shea red off. No mechanical abnormality could be found for loss of directional control. A reexamination of the pilot's certificate wil be performed.
As the FAA filed it
LOUD POP ON TAKEOFF ROLL. LOST RUDDER CONTROL. EXITED RWY INTO CORNFIELD. HAD FAILED TO LOCK THE TAILWHEEL. (-23) MR. ADAMS ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF FOR HIS FOURTH SPRAYING FLIGHT OF THE DAY. THE CHEMICAL HOPPER WAS PARTIALLY FILLED WITH CHEMICALS. THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS TOWARDS THE EAST WITH A NORTHEAST WIND AT APPROXIMATELY 5 KNOTS. THE PILOT REPORTED A LOUD NOISE AT THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT AND AN EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. MR. ADAMS RAISED THE TAIL WITH A LESSENING OF VIBRATION AND WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT, THROUGH A FENCE AND INTO A CORNFIELD. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR DEPARTED ON STRIKING THE SURFACE AND GROUND LOOPED TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES FROM THE RUNWAY AND TAKEOFF DIRECTION. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED COMPLETE CONTINUITY OF ALL CONTROLS, INCLUDING THE RUDDER AND TAILWHEEL LOCKING MECHANISM. NO MECHANICAL DEFECT EXISTED THAT COULD CAUSE THE LOSS OF RUDDER CONTROL. ALL SPRINGS, CABLES, PULLEYS AND GUIDES WERE INTACT AND FUNCTIONAL. THE TAILWHEEL WAS DIRECTLY UNDER THE TAILWHEEL SPRING ASSEMBLY WITH ALL FOUR ATTACHMENT BOLTS SHEA RED OFF. NO MECHANICAL ABNORMALITY COULD BE FOUND FOR LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. A REEXAMINATION OF THE PILOT'S CERTIFICATE WIL BE PERFORMED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.