What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 7/23/2004 at 0515 hours, N5010E, an air tractor AT-502-B, was destroyed when it crashed during take off from an agricultural airstrip approximately 3 miles west of Mendota, CA. The pilot in command, Douglas edward thiel, commercial certificate #550925261, stated that during the takeoff run from the 1/2 mile dirt runway all engine indicators showed the PT6A was producing normal take off power. As the tail raised at about 80 KIAS, the aircraft remained on the runway for 300 feet before becoming airborne, but failed to accelerate and climb because the flaps were retracted. Mr. Thiel lowered the flaps to the take off position attempting to gain sufficient altitude to clear the corn field at the end of the runway. He tried to jettison the 3000# of pesticide, but misidentified the spray control for the dump valve and was unsuccessful. The aircraft flew just above stalling speed across the southeast corner of the corn field with the propeller shearing the tops of the corn stalks, crossed an access road and settled into an adjacent alfalfa field. The left landing gear struck the ground followed by the left wing tip. The aircraft cartwheeled three times and came to rest inverted 168 feet from the point of impact.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 7/23/2004 AT 0515 HOURS, N5010E, AN AIR TRACTOR AT-502-B, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT CRASHED DURING TAKE OFF FROM AN AGRICULTURAL AIRSTRIP APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES WEST OF MENDOTA, CA. THE PILOT IN COMMAND, DOUGLAS EDWARD THIEL, COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE #550925261, STATED THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN FROM THE 1/2 MILE DIRT RUNWAY ALL ENGINE INDICATORS SHOWED THE PT6A WAS PRODUCING NORMAL TAKE OFF POWER. AS THE TAIL RAISED AT ABOUT 80 KIAS, THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED ON THE RUNWAY FOR 300 FEET BEFORE BECOMING AIRBORNE, BUT FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND CLIMB BECAUSE THE FLAPS WERE RETRACTED. MR. THIEL LOWERED THE FLAPS TO THE TAKE OFF POSITION ATTEMPTING TO GAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE CORN FIELD AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. HE TRIED TO JETTISON THE 3000# OF PESTICIDE, BUT MISIDENTIFIED THE SPRAY CONTROL FOR THE DUMP VALVE AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW JUST ABOVE STALLING SPEED ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE CORN FIELD WITH THE PROPELLER SHEARING THE TOPS OF THE CORN STALKS, CROSSED AN ACCESS ROAD AND SETTLED INTO AN ADJACENT ALFALFA FIELD. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE GROUND FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT WING TIP. THE AIRCRAFT CARTWHEELED THREE TIMES AND CAME TO REST INVERTED 168 FEET FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.