What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Interviewed the pilot and ground support, investigation found the following:
The pilot was taking off from off-airport runway, making a slight right turn after partial rotation the aircraft settled to the ground. The pilot was distracted by another pilot spraying in the same area. There was a levee covered by high grass you could not see very well and the aircraft's right main landing gear wheel caught the levee and flipped the aircraft, the pilot believes about 1 and half times. Damage is substantial. Weather was determined not be a factor after conducting interviews and reviewing reports at that time. It was fairly mild yesterday with a slight breeze. The weather was about the same as day of accident. There were no performance issues with the aircraft. The aircraft was fueled and there was evidence of fuel residue around the area. The hopper was full since they were taking off to spray. The engine was making power as evidenced by the blade roll over on the propeller. Investigator believes the accident was pilot error and was caused by lack of situational awareness and failure to maintain proper altitude and airspeed for the terrain over which he was flying.
As the FAA filed it
INTERVIEWED THE PILOT AND GROUND SUPPORT, INVESTIGATION FOUND THE FOLLOWING:
THE PILOT WAS TAKING OFF FROM OFF-AIRPORT RUNWAY, MAKING A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN AFTER PARTIAL ROTATION THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED TO THE GROUND. THE PILOT WAS DISTRACTED BY ANOTHER PILOT SPRAYING IN THE SAME AREA. THERE WAS A LEVEE COVERED BY HIGH GRASS YOU COULD NOT SEE VERY WELL AND THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL CAUGHT THE LEVEE AND FLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT BELIEVES ABOUT 1 AND HALF TIMES. DAMAGE IS SUBSTANTIAL. WEATHER WAS DETERMINED NOT BE A FACTOR AFTER CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS AND REVIEWING REPORTS AT THAT TIME. IT WAS FAIRLY MILD YESTERDAY WITH A SLIGHT BREEZE. THE WEATHER WAS ABOUT THE SAME AS DAY OF ACCIDENT. THERE WERE NO PERFORMANCE ISSUES WITH THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED AND THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF FUEL RESIDUE AROUND THE AREA. THE HOPPER WAS FULL SINCE THEY WERE TAKING OFF TO SPRAY. THE ENGINE WAS MAKING POWER AS EVIDENCED BY THE BLADE ROLL OVER ON THE PROPELLER. INVESTIGATOR BELIEVES THE ACCIDENT WAS PILOT ERROR AND WAS CAUSED BY LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED FOR THE TERRAIN OVER WHICH HE WAS FLYING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6678Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.