19990525005629A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Wthrly 620B · Whiteface, TX · May 25, 1999

Date
May 25, 1999 · 11:30 local
Place
Whiteface, TX
Phase of flight
Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
VHRG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6305W
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW99LA149
Reported as
Wthrly 620B
Fatal injuries
0

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.

Acft wheels dug into mud on take-off, and the acft flipped over, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on may 25, 1999, at approximately 1030 central daylight time, a weatherly 620B agricultural airplane, N6305W, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during the takeoff roll from a private dirt airstrip near Whiteface, Texas. The instrument rated commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was seriously injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by beseda fertilizer and chemical inc., of Whiteface, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the title 14 CFR part 137 flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the operator, the airplane was loaded with a load of "roundup" to be sprayed on a 70 acres field approx. 25 miles from his airstrip. The weather at the airstrip was reported as clear with winds from the east at approx. 10 knots. The operator added that this was the pilot's first flight of the day and the second payload flight for the pilot in the weatherly 620B airplane. The 5,000 hour pilot had been working for the operator for the last 10 years. The operat or stated that the surface of his 4,200 foot dirt airstrip was saturated due to heavy rains during the night and early morning hours. During the takeoff run to the east, one of the main landing gear tires bogged down in a muddy area of the airstrip, approx. 1,000 feet from the approach end of the airstrip. Subsequently, the airplane veered slightly and nosed over coming to rest on the airstrip in the inverted position. There were no fire and the fuel and chemicals were contained within the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed that the vertical stabilizer and the cockpit area of the airplane sustained structural damage. The propeller, engine cowling, and rudder assembly were also damaged. (-23)during take off run to the east, pilots left gear went through standing water causing aircraft to veer off the left. Left tire then went into deeper water causing aircraft to flip over, coming to rest approximately 1000 feet from end of runway, 330 feet from initial water impact. Pilot substaibed serious injuried (broken back and collar bone). Substantial damage tothe aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT WHEELS DUG INTO MUD ON TAKE-OFF, AND THE ACFT FLIPPED OVER, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON MAY 25, 1999, AT APPROXIMATELY 1030 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A WEATHERLY 620B AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE, N6305W, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL FROM A PRIVATE DIRT AIRSTRIP NEAR WHITEFACE, TEXAS. THE INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY BESEDA FERTILIZER AND CHEMICAL INC., OF WHITEFACE, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 137 FLIGHT FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE AIRPLANE WAS LOADED WITH A LOAD OF "ROUNDUP" TO BE SPRAYED ON A 70 ACRES FIELD APPROX. 25 MILES FROM HIS AIRSTRIP. THE WEATHER AT THE AIRSTRIP WAS REPORTED AS CLEAR WITH WINDS FROM THE EAST AT APPROX. 10 KNOTS. THE OPERATOR ADDED THAT THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY AND THE SECOND PAYLOAD FLIGHT FOR THE PILOT IN THE WEATHERLY 620B AIRPLANE. THE 5,000 HOUR PILOT HAD BEEN WORKING FOR THE OPERATOR FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. THE OPERAT OR STATED THAT THE SURFACE OF HIS 4,200 FOOT DIRT AIRSTRIP WAS SATURATED DUE TO HEAVY RAINS DURING THE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS. DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN TO THE EAST, ONE OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRES BOGGED DOWN IN A MUDDY AREA OF THE AIRSTRIP, APPROX. 1,000 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE AIRSTRIP. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE VEERED SLIGHTLY AND NOSED OVER COMING TO REST ON THE AIRSTRIP IN THE INVERTED POSITION. THERE WERE NO FIRE AND THE FUEL AND CHEMICALS WERE CONTAINED WITHIN THE AIRPLANE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND THE COCKPIT AREA OF THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE PROPELLER, ENGINE COWLING, AND RUDDER ASSEMBLY WERE ALSO DAMAGED. (-23)DURING TAKE OFF RUN TO THE EAST, PILOTS LEFT GEAR WENT THROUGH STANDING WATER CAUSING AIRCRAFT TO VEER OFF THE LEFT. LEFT TIRE THEN WENT INTO DEEPER WATER CAUSING AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER, COMING TO REST APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET FROM END OF RUNWAY, 330 FEET FROM INITIAL WATER IMPACT. PILOT SUBSTAIBED SERIOUS INJURIED (BROKEN BACK AND COLLAR BONE). SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TOTHE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

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

Other reports on N6305W · 1

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