- Date
- September 2, 2010, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Murtaugh, ID
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7502YSchweizer 164B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100902044849A
- Case key
- 77174
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 inadequate compensation for the wind and failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.
Findings · 3
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 pilot reported that during landing he noticed the wind intensity was increasing at the private airstrip. He departed again for his fifth aerial application flight of the day. While on the takeoff, as the tail was lifting off the ground, a gust of wind struck the airplane and it veered towards the right. The airplane exited the runway surface and struck a power pole, substantially damaging the wings, fuselage and empennage. The nearest weather reporting station, located about 13 miles from the accident airstrip, reported wind at 13 knots gusting to 19 knots. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he noticed the wind was picking up at the private airstrip when he landed from his fourth load of spray for the aerial application flight. During the takeoff roll of the pilot’s fifth load, as the tail was coming off the ground, a gust of wind struck the airplane and it veered towards the right. The airplane exited the runway environment and struck a power pole, substantially damaging the wings, fuselage and empennage. The nearest weather reporting station located about 13 miles to the west of the accident airstrip reported wind from 070 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 19 knots. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7502Y
- Reported as
- Schweizer 164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 821B
- Airframe hours
- 9,036
- Engine
- Garrett TPE331-1-151A, 665 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Larry Wright
- Registered owner
- Ken Spray LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 3, 2010 · 388 hours before
- Departed
- N/A · Murtaugh, ID
- Destination
- N/A · Murtaugh, ID
- Airport
- N/A · Murtaugh Strip, runway 27, 2,800 × 70 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
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 16, 2009
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 18,063 total · 2,837 in this make and model · 17,912 as pilot in command · 367 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
- Observed at
- TWF, 13 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 28, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 542 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.
Other investigations on N7502Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.