What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft heavy with dry fertilizer (potash) and fuel failed to acquire airspeed and altitude enough to clear standing wheat at the end of the 2400 foot air strip. The drag of the wheels in the wheat caused the aircraft to desend, pitch down and flip onto its top approximately 100 yards into the wheat field. As prop and engine impacted the ground the engine case failed separating the forward portion of engine and prop from the aircraft. The remaining portion of the engine and its mount absorbed further impact energy and became the pivot point as the aircraft flipped over. The pilot survived with serious injuries. The aircraft was being operated near its maximum gross weight. Similar loads were flown the day prior and this was the third load for the day. The pilot does not recall events of the takeoff.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT HEAVY WITH DRY FERTILIZER (POTASH) AND FUEL FAILED TO ACQUIRE AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE ENOUGH TO CLEAR STANDING WHEAT AT THE END OF THE 2400 FOOT AIR STRIP. THE DRAG OF THE WHEELS IN THE WHEAT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DESEND, PITCH DOWN AND FLIP ONTO ITS TOP APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS INTO THE WHEAT FIELD. AS PROP AND ENGINE IMPACTED THE GROUND THE ENGINE CASE FAILED SEPARATING THE FORWARD PORTION OF ENGINE AND PROP FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE ENGINE AND ITS MOUNT ABSORBED FURTHER IMPACT ENERGY AND BECAME THE PIVOT POINT AS THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER. THE PILOT SURVIVED WITH SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED NEAR ITS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT. SIMILAR LOADS WERE FLOWN THE DAY PRIOR AND THIS WAS THE THIRD LOAD FOR THE DAY. THE PILOT DOES NOT RECALL EVENTS OF THE TAKEOFF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.