- Date
- May 7, 2012, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- El Campo, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5016PAir Tractor AT-502B
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 7, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120507007879A
- Case key
- 83649
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 decision to rotate early, the airplane’s subsequent inability to climb, and the pilot’s delayed decision to abort the takeoff.
Findings · 4
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
While departing from a private airstrip for an aerial application flight, the pilot rotated the airplane for takeoff early to avoid ground equipment that was located off the end of the runway. However, the pilot stated that he “bled off too much energy too early,” and the airplane settled back onto the runway. The pilot aborted the takeoff, but the airplane was traveling too fast to stop on the runway. The pilot tried to maneuver the airplane to avoid the obstacles, but the airplane collided with the obstacles and terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.
Factual narrative
While departing a private airstrip, the pilot rotated the airplane for takeoff early in order to avoid ground equipment near the end of the runway. As a result, the airplane did not climb and settled back to the runway. The airplane would not become airborne so the pilot aborted the takeoff. However, the airplane was traveling too fast to stop on the runway. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to avoid the parked vehicles, but collided with obstacles and terrain resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5016P
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502B-0420
- Engine
- P&W PT6A SERIES, 500 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Independent Dusting Service Inc, doing business as Independent Dusting Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Independent Dusting Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- El Campo, TX
- Destination
- El Campo, TX
- Airport
- Private airstrip
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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Single
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KARM, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 8, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 MB 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.