What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Sunday 5/27/2018 Air tractor 502B, tail# N6180J, sn# 502B-0329, crashed while conducting aerial application of agricultural fertilizers. The aircraft was not able to take-off from a grass/dirt airstrip located off county road 220 southeast of Qulin, MO. The pilot involved was attempting to take-off with a departure to the south in the aircraft sometime between 1130 1200 CDT on Sunday 5/27/2018 with approximate 2700LBS of fertilizer loaded onboard and with an estimated fuel load of between 130-140 gallons of jet-a. the aircraft came to a rest with substantial damage approximately 300' south-southwest of the end of the airstrip. The aircraft substained the following substantial damage. The left main landing gear is bent up under the fuselage, tail section is crushed and the tail landing gear was separated from the aircraft. Left and right wings had significate damage, with the left wing and left main landing gear absorbing most of the impact and deceleration forces. The PT6A was seized as a result of propeller contact with the ground post crash.
The weather at the time of departure was sky clear, with the winds out the north-northeast at approximately 3-4 mph gusting to about 8 mph. The temperature estimated at the time to be 90F/32C. The airstrip has a north-south orientation with a 3 foot drainage ditch at the southern end and 35 trees, power lines, and a road at the northern end. It is surrounded on all sides by corn and rice fields.
As the FAA filed it
ON SUNDAY 5/27/2018 AIR TRACTOR 502B, TAIL# N6180J, SN# 502B-0329, CRASHED WHILE CONDUCTING AERIAL APPLICATION OF AGRICULTURAL FERTILIZERS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT ABLE TO TAKE-OFF FROM A GRASS/DIRT AIRSTRIP LOCATED OFF COUNTY ROAD 220 SOUTHEAST OF QULIN, MO. THE PILOT INVOLVED WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE-OFF WITH A DEPARTURE TO THE SOUTH IN THE AIRCRAFT SOMETIME BETWEEN 1130 1200 CDT ON SUNDAY 5/27/2018 WITH APPROXIMATE 2700LBS OF FERTILIZER LOADED ONBOARD AND WITH AN ESTIMATED FUEL LOAD OF BETWEEN 130-140 GALLONS OF JET-A. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE APPROXIMATELY 300' SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE END OF THE AIRSTRIP. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSTAINED THE FOLLOWING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR IS BENT UP UNDER THE FUSELAGE, TAIL SECTION IS CRUSHED AND THE TAIL LANDING GEAR WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS HAD SIGNIFICATE DAMAGE, WITH THE LEFT WING AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR ABSORBING MOST OF THE IMPACT AND DECELERATION FORCES. THE PT6A WAS SEIZED AS A RESULT OF PROPELLER CONTACT WITH THE GROUND POST CRASH.
THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS SKY CLEAR, WITH THE WINDS OUT THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT APPROXIMATELY 3-4 MPH GUSTING TO ABOUT 8 MPH. THE TEMPERATURE ESTIMATED AT THE TIME TO BE 90F/32C. THE AIRSTRIP HAS A NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTATION WITH A 3 FOOT DRAINAGE DITCH AT THE SOUTHERN END AND 35 TREES, POWER LINES, AND A ROAD AT THE NORTHERN END. IT IS SURROUNDED ON ALL SIDES BY CORN AND RICE FIELDS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.