- Date
- August 17, 2009, 14:20 local (19:20 UTC)
- Place
- Whittemore, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5003CAir Tractor AT-502B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-DSM-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090817016479A
- Case key
- 74553
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's lack of preflight planning and remedial action with resulted in the airplane's inability to climb out of ground effect.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The airplane settled onto the runway after becoming airborne during takeoff. The airplane became airborne a second time and this time it settled into a bean field off the end of the runway. The airplane then contacted a ditch and crossed a road prior to coming to rest in another bean field. The pilot stated the airplane was at or near gross weight, but he did not calculate the weight and balance. He stated the engine was running normal and he was confident the airplane was going to stay airborne which is why he did not dump the chemical load.
Factual narrative
The airplane settled onto the runway after becoming airborne during takeoff. The airplane became airborne a second time and this time it settled into a bean field off the end of the runway. The airplane then contacted a ditch and crossed a road prior to coming to rest in another bean field. The pilot stated that the airplane was at or near gross weight, but he did not calculate the weight and balance. He stated that the engine was running normal and he was confident the airplane was going to stay airborne which is why he did not dump the chemical load.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5003C
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502B-0396
- Airframe hours
- 3,922
- Engine
- P&W PT6A 15AG, 680 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Dennis Meyer
- Registered owner
- Steier Ag Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 30, 2009 · 63 hours before
- Departed
- PVT · Whittemore, IA
- Destination
- PVT · Whittemore, IA
- Airport
- PVT · Steier, runway 33, 2,850 × 70 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 6,958 total · 781 in this make and model · 165 in the last 90 days · 123 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- AXA, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 14, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 575 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.