- Date
- July 30, 2005, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kerman, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4003ZAyres S2R-134
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20050730017199A
- Case key
- 62107
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 obtain an adequate airspeed during an attempted 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
During the takeoff roll on the agricultural flight, the airplane failed to become airborne prior to rolling off the departure end of the runway, becoming entangled with bushes, and nosing over. The pilot had previously performed five spray flights from the dirt airstrip without mishap. The airplane had been reloaded and hot refueled between the flights. For the accident takeoff, the chemical load had been reduced from 350 gallons to 300 gallons at the pilot's request because the ambient air temperature was warming up. No mechanical malfunctions occurred with the airplane during the flight.
Factual narrative
On July 30, 2005, about 1130 Pacific daylight time, an Ayres S2R-134, N4003Z, overran the departure end of the runway, became entangled with bushes, and nosed over during the takeoff roll from a private airstrip near Kerman, California. The airplane was owned and operated by Mid Cal Ag Aviation, Inc., in Kerman, and it was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot was not injured during the agricultural flight in the restricted category airplane. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The local area flight originated from the airstrip about 0800.
The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that during the day he had performed five agricultural spray flights without mishap. The airplane had been hot refueled and reloaded between the flights. For the accident takeoff, the chemical load had been reduced from 350 gallons to 300 gallons at the pilot's request because the ambient air temperature was warming up.
According to the operator, as evidenced by wheel marks in the dirt-surfaced runway, on the accident flight/takeoff the airplane had accelerated on the runway and it overran the departure end without lifting off. Thereafter, the airplane encountered weeds. The airplane nosed over when the weeds balled up under the airplane.
The pilot reported to the Safety Board investigator that no mechanical malfunctions had occurred with the airplane during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4003Z
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R-134
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6007
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60A, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Mid Cal Ag Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Mid Cal Ag Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- NONE · Kerman, CA
- Destination
- NONE · Kerman, CA
- Airport
- NONE · None, runway 09, 2,600 × 50 ft, dirt
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
- 66
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 300 in this make and model · 160 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days
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.