What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft right main gear became stuck in the mud on takeoff and flipped over, Lake Village, AR. (-23) on March 3, 1998, at 4:35 pm CST, an air tractor, AT-502B, ag-plane, registered to hensley flying service, inc., lost directional control on takeoff due to wheel-ruts (trenches) that the pilot inadvertently encountered shortly after tail-wheel was off the ground. The ruts caused the airplane to veer to the right where the ground was soft (wet), thus causing the right main landing gear to become mired in mud. Consequently, the airplane flipped causing substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and the aircraft was loaded with liquid-fertilizer on a dispensing mission to dispense on a nearby wheat crop. This report and investigation are closed. Y.4)after filling his aerial application aircraft with 350 gallons of liquid fertilizer, the pilot began his takeoff roll. As the airplane's tail lifted off of the ground, the right main landing gear entered a rut, which resulted in the aircraft decelerating and veering to the right into soft ground. Subsequently, the aircraft 'flipped' over onto its back. The pilot stated that he and the landowner drove 'up and down the airstrip stopping several times to test the condition of the strip' prior to his initial landing to the strip. He further stated that '[he] noticed the strip to be a little rough but [he] felt that it was firm enough to work off of.' The pilot reported that during his initial landing he did not notice any problems with the strip.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT RIGHT MAIN GEAR BECAME STUCK IN THE MUD ON TAKEOFF AND FLIPPED OVER, LAKE VILLAGE, AR. (-23) ON MARCH 3, 1998, AT 4:35 PM CST, AN AIR TRACTOR, AT-502B, AG-PLANE, REGISTERED TO HENSLEY FLYING SERVICE, INC., LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON TAKEOFF DUE TO WHEEL-RUTS (TRENCHES) THAT THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY ENCOUNTERED SHORTLY AFTER TAIL-WHEEL WAS OFF THE GROUND. THE RUTS CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO VEER TO THE RIGHT WHERE THE GROUND WAS SOFT (WET), THUS CAUSING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO BECOME MIRED IN MUD. CONSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITH LIQUID-FERTILIZER ON A DISPENSING MISSION TO DISPENSE ON A NEARBY WHEAT CROP. THIS REPORT AND INVESTIGATION ARE CLOSED. Y.4)AFTER FILLING HIS AERIAL APPLICATION AIRCRAFT WITH 350 GALLONS OF LIQUID FERTILIZER, THE PILOT BEGAN HIS TAKEOFF ROLL. AS THE AIRPLANE'S TAIL LIFTED OFF OF THE GROUND, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ENTERED A RUT, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT DECELERATING AND VEERING TO THE RIGHT INTO SOFT GROUND. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT 'FLIPPED' OVER ONTO ITS BACK. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE AND THE LANDOWNER DROVE 'UP AND DOWN THE AIRSTRIP STOPPING SEVERAL TIMES TO TEST THE CONDITION OF THE STRIP' PRIOR TO HIS INITIAL LANDING TO THE STRIP. HE FURTHER STATED THAT '[HE] NOTICED THE STRIP TO BE A LITTLE ROUGH BUT [HE] FELT THAT IT WAS FIRM ENOUGH TO WORK OFF OF.' THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING HIS INITIAL LANDING HE DID NOT NOTICE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE STRIP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.