What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 08/15/2003 at about 1830 the appropriately and qualified pilot was departing the 1700 foot grass strip to the north for a routine spray application flight. The aircrafts right wing tip contacted the ground about 25 feet from the end of the runway then contacted a soy bean field. This turned the aircraft to the right and the aircraft contacted the bean field with the left landing gear resulting in the left gear separating from the aircraft. The aircraft then came to rest on about a 360 degree heading about 200 feet into chest high beans. The pilot exited the aircraft without injury. The aircraft suffered substantial damage to the left wing, right wing tip, fuselage, landing gear, engine and prop. The weather at the time was about 86 degrees; winds were estimated to be about 5 knots from the west northwest and the density altitude was computed to be about 2670 feet. The aircraft was loaded with 405 gallons of liquid material and 135 gallons of jet fuel.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 08/15/2003 AT ABOUT 1830 THE APPROPRIATELY AND QUALIFIED PILOT WAS DEPARTING THE 1700 FOOT GRASS STRIP TO THE NORTH FOR A ROUTINE SPRAY APPLICATION FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFTS RIGHT WING TIP CONTACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 25 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY THEN CONTACTED A SOY BEAN FIELD. THIS TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE BEAN FIELD WITH THE LEFT LANDING GEAR RESULTING IN THE LEFT GEAR SEPARATING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CAME TO REST ON ABOUT A 360 DEGREE HEADING ABOUT 200 FEET INTO CHEST HIGH BEANS. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, RIGHT WING TIP, FUSELAGE, LANDING GEAR, ENGINE AND PROP. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS ABOUT 86 DEGREES; WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 5 KNOTS FROM THE WEST NORTHWEST AND THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS COMPUTED TO BE ABOUT 2670 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITH 405 GALLONS OF LIQUID MATERIAL AND 135 GALLONS OF JET FUEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.