- Date
- August 12, 2007, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cooksville, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N61352Air Tractor AT-502B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070812021979A
- Case key
- 66638
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 partial loss of engine power during the takeoff roll for undetermined reasons and the pilot's unsuccessful compensation for the tailwind conditions. Factors contributing to the accident were the tailwind and the corn crop.
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 sustained substantial damage during takeoff from the grass airstrip when it failed to clear the corn at the end of the airstrip. The pilot reported that he was departing on his fourth flight of the day. The airplane was loaded with 425 gallons of water and chemicals and 150 gallons of fuel. He reported that he checked the wind before takeoff and it appeared there was no wind. He reported that during his takeoff roll, "I encountered a substantial gust of wind from the rear that prevented me from keeping the airplane airborne." He also stated that, "I believe that if this engine had been producing its maximum rated horsepower, the gust of wind would not have been the deciding factor in this take off."
Factual narrative
The airplane sustained substantial damage during takeoff from the grass airstrip when it failed to clear the corn at the end of the airstrip. The pilot reported that he was departing on his fourth flight of the day. The airplane was loaded with 425 gallons of water and chemical and 150 gallons of fuel. He reported that he checked the wind before takeoff and it appeared there was no wind. He reported that during his takeoff roll, "I encountered a substantial gust of wind from the rear that prevented me from keeping the airplane airborne." He also stated that, "I believe that if this engine had been producing its maximum rated horsepower, the gust of wind would not have been the deciding factor in this take off."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61352
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-502B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0311
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34HG, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Tidwell Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Cooksville, IL
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total · 5,300 in this make and model · 500 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 15 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.