20090817016479A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Airtrc AT-502B · Whittemore, IA · August 17, 2009

Date: August 17, 2009 · 14:20 local
Place: Whittemore, IA
Phase of flight: Takeoff
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: RCGG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N5003C
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN09CA533
Reported as: Airtrc AT502B
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A15AG
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,851 total781 in this make and model159 in the last 90 days

N5003CRegistered now · Air Tractor AT-502BS/N 502B-0396 Airframe modelAir Tractor AT-502B Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A 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) The aircraft was being used in agricultural spraying operations. The pilot was attempting to takeoff after taking on a load of chemical and fuel. The aircraft lifted off approximately two thirds to three quarters down the runway. The aircraft settled back to the ground and bounced. The aircraft settled a second time and the landing gear went through a soybean field. The aircraft's landing gear then scraped the embankment of the road that is adjacent to the north end of the runway. The aircraft then crossed the road and crashed into a bean field on the north side of the road. The aircraft received substantial damage. The empennage was bent around the remainder of the fuselage. Both wings and the landing gear were severely damaged. The propeller was damaged, but the pilot stated that the engine was still running and he used the condition lever to shutdown the engine.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING USED IN AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING OPERATIONS. THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKEOFF AFTER TAKING ON A LOAD OF CHEMICAL AND FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF APPROXIMATELY TWO THIRDS TO THREE QUARTERS DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED BACK TO THE GROUND AND BOUNCED. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED A SECOND TIME AND THE LANDING GEAR WENT THROUGH A SOYBEAN FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT'S LANDING GEAR THEN SCRAPED THE EMBANKMENT OF THE ROAD THAT IS ADJACENT TO THE NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CROSSED THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO A BEAN FIELD ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE EMPENNAGE WAS BENT AROUND THE REMAINDER OF THE FUSELAGE. BOTH WINGS AND THE LANDING GEAR WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED, BUT THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AND HE USED THE CONDITION LEVER TO SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE.

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 CEN09CA533Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportWhittemore, IAThe pilot's lack of preflight planning and remedial action with resulted in the airplane's inability to climb out of ground effect.Aug 17, 2009 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N5003C · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20041028026249ILow Level Operations · Levelland, TX(-23) On October 28, 2004, at approximately 1600, an agricultural aircraft, N5003C, flew through an electrical line cutting it with the propeller, causing minor damage to the aircraft and its propeller. The wire came down damaging a passing car. There were no…Oct 28, 2004 · Minor damage