20100723040969A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Air Tractor AT-502B · Whittemore, IA · July 23, 2010

Date
July 23, 2010 · 14:00 local
Place
Whittemore, IA
Airport
Steier Field
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
XLSG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4203E
Reported as
Air Tractor AT-502B
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,464 total1,490 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

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.

Heading north on takeoff roll from a 2640 foot sod airstrip pilot determined at approximately mid point the aircraft would not become airborne. An emergency dump of the chemical load was executed and the aircraft pitched nose up, then stalled. Recovery attempt failed resulting in the left wing contacting the corn causing the aircraft to cart wheel. The aircraft came to rest 200 feet from north end of the runway. Due to a change in wind direction, this was the first takeoff attempt from the south end; all previous departures that day were from the north. There was 318 gallons of chemical weighing 2568 pounds, and 150 gallons of jet fuel weighing 1026 pounds on board, which is within the maximum allowable takeoff weight. Flaps were set to 10 degrees. Pilot reported that his initial roll was slow due to a soft spot on the runway. The condition of the airstrip was reported to be soft due to recent rainfall.

As the FAA filed it

HEADING NORTH ON TAKEOFF ROLL FROM A 2640 FOOT SOD AIRSTRIP PILOT DETERMINED AT APPROXIMATELY MID POINT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT BECOME AIRBORNE. AN EMERGENCY DUMP OF THE CHEMICAL LOAD WAS EXECUTED AND THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED NOSE UP, THEN STALLED. RECOVERY ATTEMPT FAILED RESULTING IN THE LEFT WING CONTACTING THE CORN CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO CART WHEEL. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST 200 FEET FROM NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY. DUE TO A CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION, THIS WAS THE FIRST TAKEOFF ATTEMPT FROM THE SOUTH END; ALL PREVIOUS DEPARTURES THAT DAY WERE FROM THE NORTH. THERE WAS 318 GALLONS OF CHEMICAL WEIGHING 2568 POUNDS, AND 150 GALLONS OF JET FUEL WEIGHING 1026 POUNDS ON BOARD, WHICH IS WITHIN THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TAKEOFF WEIGHT. FLAPS WERE SET TO 10 DEGREES. PILOT REPORTED THAT HIS INITIAL ROLL WAS SLOW DUE TO A SOFT SPOT ON THE RUNWAY. THE CONDITION OF THE AIRSTRIP WAS REPORTED TO BE SOFT DUE TO RECENT RAINFALL.