What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Crashed on takeoff. (.19) on July 23, 1999, about 1500 central daylight time, an air tractor 301, N2368R, registered to ward air service inc., was substantially damaged during takeoff at Ruleville-Drew Airport, Drew, Mississippi. The commercial-rated pilot reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed in the vicinity, and no flight plan had been filed. The local aerial application flight was being conducted in accordance with title 14 CFR part 137. The flight was originating at the time. The flight was departing from a 3,000 foot runway with a full load of fertilizer. The airplane became airborne, and according to the pilot, the engine lost engine power. The pilot was not able to maintain altitude, and the airplane impacted the ground about 2,500 feet from the departure end of the runway. The reported temperature in the vicinity about the time of the accident was 96 degrees f, and the winds were from 330 degrees, at 3 knots. The calculated density altitude was 2,559 feet. The field elevation was 137 feet. (.4)the flight was departing from a 3,000 foot runway with a full load of fertilizer. The airplane became airborne, and according to the pilot, the engine lost power. The pilot was not able to maintain altitude, and the airplane impacted the ground about 2,500 feet from the departure end of the runway. The on scene investigation revealed that the no. 4 cylinder exhaust rocker box cover was fractured and missing, and appeared to not have been caused by impact with the ground. The no. 4 cylinder was removed from the engine and sent to the NTSB materials laboratory in Washington, d.c., for examination. The laboratory examination revealed that the no. 4 cylinder head had failed from fatigue cracking, probably the result of both mechanical and thermal stresses. It was likely that the fatigue originated first at the corners of the exhaust rocker shaft hole in boss '1', then initiated at localized casting defects in boss '2' as the fatigue in boss '1' grew and the local stresses increased in the remaining structure. (-23)during climb out the engine sputtered and lost power. Aircraft landed in marshy field a quarter to half mile from end of runway at M37 and susta ined substantial damage. The weather was clear with temp./dp at 36/23 degrees celsius. Acft. Was loaded with fertilizer. Pilot not injuried.
As the FAA filed it
CRASHED ON TAKEOFF. (.19) ON JULY 23, 1999, ABOUT 1500 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR 301, N2368R, REGISTERED TO WARD AIR SERVICE INC., WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING TAKEOFF AT RULEVILLE-DREW AIRPORT, DREW, MISSISSIPPI. THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) PREVAILED IN THE VICINITY, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE LOCAL AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 14 CFR PART 137. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME. THE FLIGHT WAS DEPARTING FROM A 3,000 FOOT RUNWAY WITH A FULL LOAD OF FERTILIZER. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, AND ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE LOST ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT WAS NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 2,500 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE REPORTED TEMPERATURE IN THE VICINITY ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 96 DEGREES F, AND THE WINDS WERE FROM 330 DEGREES, AT 3 KNOTS. THE CALCULATED DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 2,559 FEET. THE FIELD ELEVATION WAS 137 FEET. (.4)THE FLIGHT WAS DEPARTING FROM A 3,000 FOOT RUNWAY WITH A FULL LOAD OF FERTILIZER. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, AND ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT WAS NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 2,500 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NO. 4 CYLINDER EXHAUST ROCKER BOX COVER WAS FRACTURED AND MISSING, AND APPEARED TO NOT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE NO. 4 CYLINDER WAS REMOVED FROM THE ENGINE AND SENT TO THE NTSB MATERIALS LABORATORY IN WASHINGTON, D.C., FOR EXAMINATION. THE LABORATORY EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE NO. 4 CYLINDER HEAD HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE CRACKING, PROBABLY THE RESULT OF BOTH MECHANICAL AND THERMAL STRESSES. IT WAS LIKELY THAT THE FATIGUE ORIGINATED FIRST AT THE CORNERS OF THE EXHAUST ROCKER SHAFT HOLE IN BOSS '1', THEN INITIATED AT LOCALIZED CASTING DEFECTS IN BOSS '2' AS THE FATIGUE IN BOSS '1' GREW AND THE LOCAL STRESSES INCREASED IN THE REMAINING STRUCTURE. (-23)DURING CLIMB OUT THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND LOST POWER. AIRCRAFT LANDED IN MARSHY FIELD A QUARTER TO HALF MILE FROM END OF RUNWAY AT M37 AND SUSTA INED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR WITH TEMP./DP AT 36/23 DEGREES CELSIUS. ACFT. WAS LOADED WITH FERTILIZER. PILOT NOT INJURIED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.