What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Air tractor crashed after takeoff from a 2000 foot grass strip (runway 18). Substantial damage to aircraft and only minor injuries to pilot. The pilot said he noticed at liftoff the flaps had not activated. The pilot and one eyewitness said the air tractor became airborne in ground effect and began hitting trees at approximately 12 feet above the runway surface. The outboard 50% of the left wing was separated, both fuel cells remained intact, the propeller was broken off of its hub and the entire empennage and tail surfaces were bent 180 degrees to the left side from a rearward impact on the tail. There was no post crash fire. The tail skid (minus the tail wheel) was protruding into the left window of the cockpit just inches from the pilot's face. The pilot and the manufacturer's representative both said that this aircraft is particularly critical on the need for ten degrees of flaps on takeoff and landing and even during "duster turns." Pilot said he was using a common (but not manufacturer recommended) ag pilot procedure of accelerating for takeoff at zero flaps and then activating ten degrees of flap at lift off. FAA inspector at the scene found the flap surfaces at zero and the flap circuit breaker was popped.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIR TRACTOR CRASHED AFTER TAKEOFF FROM A 2000 FOOT GRASS STRIP (RUNWAY 18). SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT AND ONLY MINOR INJURIES TO PILOT. THE PILOT SAID HE NOTICED AT LIFTOFF THE FLAPS HAD NOT ACTIVATED. THE PILOT AND ONE EYEWITNESS SAID THE AIR TRACTOR BECAME AIRBORNE IN GROUND EFFECT AND BEGAN HITTING TREES AT APPROXIMATELY 12 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE OUTBOARD 50% OF THE LEFT WING WAS SEPARATED, BOTH FUEL CELLS REMAINED INTACT, THE PROPELLER WAS BROKEN OFF OF ITS HUB AND THE ENTIRE EMPENNAGE AND TAIL SURFACES WERE BENT 180 DEGREES TO THE LEFT SIDE FROM A REARWARD IMPACT ON THE TAIL. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THE TAIL SKID (MINUS THE TAIL WHEEL) WAS PROTRUDING INTO THE LEFT WINDOW OF THE COCKPIT JUST INCHES FROM THE PILOT'S FACE. THE PILOT AND THE MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE BOTH SAID THAT THIS AIRCRAFT IS PARTICULARLY CRITICAL ON THE NEED FOR TEN DEGREES OF FLAPS ON TAKEOFF AND LANDING AND EVEN DURING "DUSTER TURNS." PILOT SAID HE WAS USING A COMMON (BUT NOT MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED) AG PILOT PROCEDURE OF ACCELERATING FOR TAKEOFF AT ZERO FLAPS AND THEN ACTIVATING TEN DEGREES OF FLAP AT LIFT OFF. FAA INSPECTOR AT THE SCENE FOUND THE FLAP SURFACES AT ZERO AND THE FLAP CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS POPPED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.