- Date
- August 28, 2005, 19:30 local (Aug 29, 2005, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hector, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4550NAir Tractor AT-502
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Minneapolis, MN FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050828020889A
- Case key
- 62502
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 achieve adequate airspeed on takeoff which resulted in the airplane entering a stall/mush when it flew out of ground effect while crossing a large drainage ditch on takeoff.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane collided with the terrain and a corn crop during takeoff on a 2,800 foot long runway. The pilot reported he noticed that the airplane was not developing full power during the takeoff. He reported he was about half way down the runway at the time. He reported, "As I lifted off the end of the runway I was just barely flying. I had to cross a large drainage ditch thus losing ground effect." The pilot reported that the main gear touched down and the tail wheel hit the bank on the far side of the drainage ditch prior to the airplane coming to rest in a corn field. The airplane was loaded with 450 pounds of insecticide at the time of the accident. The pilot reported the local winds were from 300 degrees at 2 to 3 knots.
Factual narrative
On August 28, 2005, at 1930 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502, collided with the terrain and a corn crop during takeoff on runway 12 (2,800 feet by 50 feet, asphalt) at the Hector Municipal Airport (1D6), Hector, Minnesota. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot reported he noticed that the airplane was not developing full power during the takeoff. He reported he was about half way down the runway at the time. He reported, "As I lifted off the end of the runway I was just barely flying. I had to cross a large drainage ditch thus losing ground effect." The pilot reported that the main gear touched down and the tail wheel hit the bank on the far side of the drainage ditch prior to the airplane coming to rest in a corn field.
The airplane was loaded with 450 pounds of insecticide at the time of the accident. The pilot reported the local winds were from 300 degrees at 2 to 3 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4550N
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 502-0131
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6-15, 680 hp, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Newberg Sky Spray
- Registered owner
- Newberg Sky Spray, LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2004
- Departed
- 1D6 · Hector, MN
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 3,100 in this make and model · 350 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.