- Date
- June 15, 2012, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ipswich, SD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N45379Air Tractor AT-502
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Rapid City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120615013629A
- Case key
- 84006
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 failure to abort the takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Findings · 1
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 was departing from a 2,400-foot asphalt runway on an aerial application flight. The airplane was loaded to its maximum gross takeoff weight and configured with 10 degrees of flaps prior to the takeoff roll. The pilot reported that a tall stand of trees at the southeast side of the departure end of the runway blocked the wind and seemed to “create a void in the air,” which resulted in an extended takeoff roll. Electing not to abort the takeoff, the pilot added more flaps in an attempt to get the airplane airborne; however, he was unsuccessful. The airplane went off the end of the runway, hit a ditch, and skidded across the road into a field. The landing gear separated from the airframe and the airplane’s fuselage and control surfaces sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation during the attempted takeoff.
Factual narrative
The airplane was departing from a 2,400 foot asphalt runway on an aerial application flight. The airplane was loaded to its maximum gross takeoff weight and configured with 10 degrees of flaps prior to the takeoff roll. The pilot reported that a tall stand of trees at the southeast side of the departure end of the runway blocked the wind and seemed to “create a void in the air” which resulted in an extended takeoff roll. Electing not to abort the takeoff, the pilot added more flaps but the airplane was unable to get airborne. The airplane went off the end of the runway, hit a ditch, and skidded across the road into a field. The landing gear separated from the airframe and the airplane’s fuselage and control surfaces sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that the airplane did not have a mechanical malfunction during the attempted takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N45379
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502-0111
- Airframe hours
- 8,400
- Engine
- P&W Canada PT6A-6-30, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Tri-County Ag Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Tri-County Ag Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2011
- Departed
- 2SD9 · Ipswich, SD
- Destination
- 2SD9 · Ipswich, SD
- Airport
- 2SD9 · TC Field Airport, runway 18, 2,400 × 28 ft, asphalt
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 7,440 total · 595 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 7 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 12, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 688 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.