What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft lost power on take-off and struck a rise in the terrain, other circumstances are unknown. (-23)the private ranch strip does not have a wind sock. The operator has a pennant attached to the antenna of a service vehicle which was at the north end of the grass strip. The pilot started a takeoff to the south in calm conditions just as a cold front moved over the field from the northeast. The pilot dumped his 400 gallon load of herbicides two thirds of the way down the 260 foot grass strip and aborted the takeoff. A quartering left tailwind was blowing, and the airplane overran the south end of the strip, cartwheeling into a meadow 20 feet below, and 156 paces beyond the runway.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT LOST POWER ON TAKE-OFF AND STRUCK A RISE IN THE TERRAIN, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23)THE PRIVATE RANCH STRIP DOES NOT HAVE A WIND SOCK. THE OPERATOR HAS A PENNANT ATTACHED TO THE ANTENNA OF A SERVICE VEHICLE WHICH WAS AT THE NORTH END OF THE GRASS STRIP. THE PILOT STARTED A TAKEOFF TO THE SOUTH IN CALM CONDITIONS JUST AS A COLD FRONT MOVED OVER THE FIELD FROM THE NORTHEAST. THE PILOT DUMPED HIS 400 GALLON LOAD OF HERBICIDES TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY DOWN THE 260 FOOT GRASS STRIP AND ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. A QUARTERING LEFT TAILWIND WAS BLOWING, AND THE AIRPLANE OVERRAN THE SOUTH END OF THE STRIP, CARTWHEELING INTO A MEADOW 20 FEET BELOW, AND 156 PACES BEYOND THE RUNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.