CEN10CA434

NTSB accident investigation · Air Tractor 502B · Whittemore, IA · July 23, 2010

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
July 23, 2010, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
Place
Whittemore, IA
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
N4203BAir Tractor 502B
Defining event
Takeoff: Aerodynamic stall/spin
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report December 20, 2010
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA Des Moines FSDO
Case key
76747

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

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.

Performance/control parameters: airspeedAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedAll aircraft: 1,681 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: angle of attackAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedAll aircraft: 990 casesProbable cause
Action: incorrect action performancePersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotAll aircraft: 1,386 casesProbable cause

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 pilot reported that he had made four previous agricultural aerial application runs prior to the accident flight, one of which had the same load as the accident flight. He departed to the north since the windsock was indicating a slight northeast wind. The grass airstrip was about 2,640 feet long and was soft due to recent rains. The weather was about 90 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity. He reported that he put in 10 degrees of flaps, held the brakes, and ran the engine up to 1,700 lbs of torque. After he released the brakes and started the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered a soft spot in the runway, which reduced his ground speed. Halfway down the runway the tail had still not come up, so the pilot “forced the tail up using the trim tab” and by pushing the stick full forward. The pilot eased the forward stick pressure and the tail went back to the ground. He immediately began to dump the load and he put in full flaps. About 100 yards before the end of the runway, the pilot “pulled the stick all the way back and became airborne, but stalled [the] airplane.” The left wing stalled and impacted the ground. The airplane came to rest in a corn field on the edge of the grass airstrip. The pilot reported that he “should have stopped the ground roll when I encountered the wet spot in the strip.” The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, right wing, and empennage.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he had made four previous agricultural aerial application runs prior to the accident flight, one of which had the same load as the accident flight. The grass airstrip was about 2,640 feet long and was soft due to recent rains. The weather was about 90 degrees F with high humidity. He put in 10 degrees of flaps, held the brakes, and ran the engine up to 1,700 lbs of torque. He departed to the north since the windsock was indicating a slight northeast wind. After he released the brakes and started the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered a soft spot in the runway which reduced his ground speed. Halfway down the runway the tail had still not come up, so the pilot “forced the tail up using the trim tab” and by pushing the stick full forward. The pilot eased the forward stick pressure and the tail went back to the ground. He immediately began to dump the load and he put in full flaps. About 100 yards before the end of the runway, the pilot “pulled the stick all the way back and became airborne, but stalled [the] airplane.” The left wing stalled and impacted the ground. The airplane came to rest in a corn field on the edge of the grass airstrip. The pilot reported that he “should have stopped the ground roll when I encountered the wet spot in the strip.” The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, right wing, and empennage.

Aircraft

Registration
N4203B
Reported as
Air Tractor 502B
Category
Airplane
Serial number
502B-2636
Engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34AG, turbo prop
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Aerial application · Part 137
Operator
Josh Aukes
Registered owner
A&M Flying Service
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Restricted (Special)
Departed
Whittemore, IA
Destination
Whittemore, IA

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
29
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 2
Flight hours
3,468 total · 1,598 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Lowest ceiling
None

Docket · 1

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 8, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 889 KB in all.