20030418006949A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-301 · Batchelor, LA · April 18, 2003

Date: April 18, 2003 · 17:30 local
Place: Batchelor, LA
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: J70G
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N36531
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW03LA136
Reported as: Airtrc AT301
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,000 total900 in this make and model250 in the last 90 days

N36531Registration cancelled Jan 18, 2018 · Air Tractor AT-301S/N 301-0277 · Built 1980 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-301 Engine modelPratt & Whitney R1340 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) On takeoff, the aircraft wheels dragged in a stand of wheat causing additional drag. The pilot attempted to dump the load to fly away, but, due to the close location of the spray and dump levers grabbed the spray lever by mistake. Aircraft slowed, and the right wing dipped into the wheat causing the aircraft to cartwheel. The aircraft came to rest inverted with no inflight or post crash fire.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT WHEELS DRAGGED IN A STAND OF WHEAT CAUSING ADDITIONAL DRAG. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO DUMP THE LOAD TO FLY AWAY, BUT, DUE TO THE CLOSE LOCATION OF THE SPRAY AND DUMP LEVERS GRABBED THE SPRAY LEVER BY MISTAKE. AIRCRAFT SLOWED, AND THE RIGHT WING DIPPED INTO THE WHEAT CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO CARTWHEEL. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED WITH NO INFLIGHT OR POST CRASH FIRE.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB FTW03LA136Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBatchelor, LAThe pilot's failure to abort the takeoff with adequate runway available. A contributing factor was the high density altitude.Apr 18, 2003 · Substantial damage