What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 7-21-23 at approximately 1100 local time operator was attempting to take off from Plains KS muncipal airport runway 35. It had rained 1”80 hundredths the previous night. That morning the airstrip was inspected by company personnel who determined it was too wet to operate loaded out of this airport. The decision was made to fly the airplane out empty and reposition it to work out of nearby liberal airport for the day. However, the standing water in the middle of the strip was deeper than it appeared so during takeoff the pilot attempted to use the right edge of the runway to avoid the puddles. During take off roll, the aircraft powered through a water hole with the right front main tire causing the aircraft to yaw right dragging the right wingtip and spray boom through the tall weeds located past the edge of the runway. This in turn pulled the plane and wing down causing it to ground loop. 180 degres into the ground loop, the tail wheel then dug into the ground. The momentum from the aircraft moving backwards and the tail wheel digging into the ground caused the tail empannage to fold to the right thus causing substantial damage to the tail, left outboard wing, tail wheel assembly and all spray booms.
As the FAA filed it
ON 7-21-23 AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 LOCAL TIME OPERATOR WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF FROM PLAINS KS MUNCIPAL AIRPORT RUNWAY 35. IT HAD RAINED 1”80 HUNDREDTHS THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. THAT MORNING THE AIRSTRIP WAS INSPECTED BY COMPANY PERSONNEL WHO DETERMINED IT WAS TOO WET TO OPERATE LOADED OUT OF THIS AIRPORT. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE OUT EMPTY AND REPOSITION IT TO WORK OUT OF NEARBY LIBERAL AIRPORT FOR THE DAY. HOWEVER, THE STANDING WATER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STRIP WAS DEEPER THAN IT APPEARED SO DURING TAKEOFF THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO USE THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY TO AVOID THE PUDDLES. DURING TAKE OFF ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT POWERED THROUGH A WATER HOLE WITH THE RIGHT FRONT MAIN TIRE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO YAW RIGHT DRAGGING THE RIGHT WINGTIP AND SPRAY BOOM THROUGH THE TALL WEEDS LOCATED PAST THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. THIS IN TURN PULLED THE PLANE AND WING DOWN CAUSING IT TO GROUND LOOP. 180 DEGRES INTO THE GROUND LOOP, THE TAIL WHEEL THEN DUG INTO THE GROUND. THE MOMENTUM FROM THE AIRCRAFT MOVING BACKWARDS AND THE TAIL WHEEL DIGGING INTO THE GROUND CAUSED THE TAIL EMPANNAGE TO FOLD TO THE RIGHT THUS CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL, LEFT OUTBOARD WING, TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY AND ALL SPRAY BOOMS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.