- Date
- July 1, 2003, 15:05 local (19:05 UTC)
- Place
- Belle Glade, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N82120WSK PZL Mielec M-18A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20030701016029A
- Case key
- 57427
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 inability of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane following a blown right main landing gear tire during the takeoff roll, resulting in the airplane rolling into soft terrain and subsequent nose over. A factor in the accident was the pilot's delay in reducing power immediately after the blown tire.
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 pilot stated that during the takeoff roll from the hard-packed rock road used as a runway, the right main landing gear tire blew. He applied left rudder input and slight left brake, but the airplane veered to the right, off the road onto soft sand/muck, and the airplane then nosed over. He further reported that the tire blew when the airplane was traveling about 70 mph, which was too slow to fly and too fast to stop before nosing over. The right main landing gear tire had been replaced in May 2003, and it had accumulated approximately 84 hours in service.
Factual narrative
On July 1, 2003, about 1505 eastern daylight time, a WSK PZL Mielec M-18A, N82120, registered to and operated by Aero-Ad, Inc., nosed over during the takeoff roll from a private airstrip near Belle Glade, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 137 local aerial application flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated that during the takeoff roll from the hard-packed rock road used as a runway, the right main landing gear tire blew. He applied left rudder input and slight left brake, but the airplane veered to the right, off the road onto soft sand/muck, and the airplane then nosed over. He further reported that the tire blew when the airplane was traveling about 70 mph, which was too slow to fly and too fast to stop before nosing over. The right main landing gear tire had been replaced in May 2003, and it had accumulated approximately 84 hours in service.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82120
- Reported as
- WSK PZL Mielec M-18A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1Z020-22
- Airframe hours
- 3,935.2
- Engine
- WSK PZL Kalis ASz-621R-M18, 967 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Aero-Ad, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Aero-Ad, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Belle Glade, FL
- Airport
- runway 18, 3,800 × 50 ft
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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- February 22, 2002
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 2,460 as pilot in command · 104 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KPBI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.