BLYTHE, CA, USA
N92640
Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18-A
The pilot attempted a takeoff with a full load of chemical and water from a 2,500-foot dirt strip. The aircraft did not get airborne, veered off to the right side of the runway, collided with a canal, and then bounced over the canal and collided with the ground where the gear separated from the aircraft. The pilot indicated that the engine tachometer and manifold pressure were in the normal ranges and that the airplane just wouldn't lift off. He stated that he didn't look at the airspeed indicator during the takeoff. There were no mechanical problems reported.
On February 15, 1996, at 1700 hours Pacific standard time, a WSK PZL Mielec M-18-A, N92640, an aerial application spray aircraft, collided with the terrain during an attempted takeoff from a 2,500-foot-long dirt strip. The operation was under 14 CFR Part 137 when the accident occurred. The aircraft was destroyed and the commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time. The pilot stated that the tachometer and manifold gauges were in the normal ranges and that he did not look at the airspeed indicator prior to takeoff. He said the aircraft just wouldn't lift-off. The aircraft veered off to the right side of the runway and collided with a canal. It then bounced to the other side, where the landing gear sheared off the aircraft. The aircraft was loaded with about 2,800 pounds of chemical and water, which is a normal load according to the operator. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft prior to the accident.
the pilot's premature lift-off and subsequent loss of control due to his failure to monitor the airspeed indicator during the takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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