What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 19, 2020 at approximately 20:20 local time, aircraft N45027, crashed off of the end of the runway at Somerton AZ. (AZ25). Upon further investigation it was discovered that the pilot was attempting to perform a night flight training operation. The pilot had flown the aircraft earlier that day from Kansas to Somerton AZ., without the knowledge of the pilot, the ground crew had filled the hopper tank full with a cleaning mixture of water and bleach in preparation for the next day?s ag flight. When the pilot accomplished the preflight and looked at the sight glass it appeared that the hopper was empty, as the fluid was clear and above the top line of the sight glass. At takeoff the pilot applied partial power because he believed the aircraft to be empty and full power would not be necessary with an empty aircraft given the length of the runway. The runway at Somerton is approximately 2500 feet and is a sand and dirt runway. On takeoff roll the pilot realized that he was not achieving take-off speed so he applied full power. Once the pilot recognized that he was not going to make take-off, he pulled power back to idle and applied brakes, however could not stop the aircraft before crashing into the trees at the end of the runway. The pilot was able to escape from the wreckage prior to the aircraft being totally destroyed by fire.
Aircraft N45027 is owned and operated by privacy data omitted. During an interview, the 14 CFR part 137 owner/operator, stated that the company conducted their own safety investigation and as a result will be implementing a ?lock out, tag out? Procedure for the ground crew to alert the pilot of any configuration changes to the aircraft.
The pilot has received additional training from the operator prior to being returned to fly again for tri-Rotor. The pilot was interviewed by another inspector and based upon conversations after, the inspector stated, counseling of the pilot would be documented in a separate record.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 20:20 LOCAL TIME, AIRCRAFT N45027, CRASHED OFF OF THE END OF THE RUNWAY AT SOMERTON AZ. (AZ25). UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO PERFORM A NIGHT FLIGHT TRAINING OPERATION. THE PILOT HAD FLOWN THE AIRCRAFT EARLIER THAT DAY FROM KANSAS TO SOMERTON AZ., WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PILOT, THE GROUND CREW HAD FILLED THE HOPPER TANK FULL WITH A CLEANING MIXTURE OF WATER AND BLEACH IN PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT DAY?S AG FLIGHT. WHEN THE PILOT ACCOMPLISHED THE PREFLIGHT AND LOOKED AT THE SIGHT GLASS IT APPEARED THAT THE HOPPER WAS EMPTY, AS THE FLUID WAS CLEAR AND ABOVE THE TOP LINE OF THE SIGHT GLASS. AT TAKEOFF THE PILOT APPLIED PARTIAL POWER BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THE AIRCRAFT TO BE EMPTY AND FULL POWER WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY WITH AN EMPTY AIRCRAFT GIVEN THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY. THE RUNWAY AT SOMERTON IS APPROXIMATELY 2500 FEET AND IS A SAND AND DIRT RUNWAY. ON TAKEOFF ROLL THE PILOT REALIZED THAT HE WAS NOT ACHIEVING TAKE-OFF SPEED SO HE APPLIED FULL POWER. ONCE THE PILOT RECOGNIZED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE TAKE-OFF, HE PULLED POWER BACK TO IDLE AND APPLIED BRAKES, HOWEVER COULD NOT STOP THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE CRASHING INTO THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE FROM THE WRECKAGE PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT BEING TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FIRE.
AIRCRAFT N45027 IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. DURING AN INTERVIEW, THE 14 CFR PART 137 OWNER/OPERATOR, STATED THAT THE COMPANY CONDUCTED THEIR OWN SAFETY INVESTIGATION AND AS A RESULT WILL BE IMPLEMENTING A ?LOCK OUT, TAG OUT? PROCEDURE FOR THE GROUND CREW TO ALERT THE PILOT OF ANY CONFIGURATION CHANGES TO THE AIRCRAFT.
THE PILOT HAS RECEIVED ADDITIONAL TRAINING FROM THE OPERATOR PRIOR TO BEING RETURNED TO FLY AGAIN FOR TRI-ROTOR. THE PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED BY ANOTHER INSPECTOR AND BASED UPON CONVERSATIONS AFTER, THE INSPECTOR STATED, COUNSELING OF THE PILOT WOULD BE DOCUMENTED IN A SEPARATE RECORD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.