BOARDMAN, OR, USA
N3129V
Ayres S2R-G10
The pilot took off with approximately 500 gallons of insecticide and 100 to 120 gallons of fuel on board. A 2 to 4 knot tailwind existed for the takeoff. There are trees 50 to 100 feet high off the departure end of the runway, and the pilot stated he noted more turbulence in the area off the end of the runway (from these trees and other obstacles in that area) on his preceding takeoff than existed earlier in the day. The pilot stated the takeoff on the accident flight was normal until the airplane flew through the area off the end of the runway, when 'a windshear feeling hit the plane and the right wing dropped.' The pilot applied full power and started to drop his load, but the wing entered a cornfield and dragged through the corn. The airplane then cartwheeled over and came to a stop facing in the opposite direction from takeoff. The pilot stated that no mechanical failures or malfunctions were involved.
On June 22, 2000, approximately 1700 Pacific daylight time, an Ayres S2R-G10 agricultural airplane, N3129V, registered to and operated by Greg's Crop Care Company of Wilbur, Washington, was destroyed in a loss of control and subsequent collision with terrain during initial climb after takeoff on a 14 CFR 137 agricultural aerial application flight near Boardman, Oregon. The commercial pilot of the single-seat aircraft was not injured in the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight, which departed from a private farm airstrip near Boardman. According to an FAA inspector who responded to the accident scene and interviewed the pilot, the aircraft took off to the east from a 3,100-foot, "mostly hard-surface" runway with 500 gallons of Monitor insecticide and 100 to 120 gallons of fuel on board. The FAA inspector stated that the aircraft had a tailwind of 2 to 4 MPH on takeoff. There are trees 50 to 100 feet tall at the departure end of the runway. The pilot reported to the NTSB that he had been making aerial applications since around 0500 and that every load was the same mix and amount. The pilot stated that on the takeoff prior to the accident, he noticed more turbulence at the end of the runway area from several obstacles (the trees, some shops and potato sheds) during that takeoff. The pilot stated that on the accident flight, "things were still normal" until he flew through the area off the end of the runway, at which time "a windshear feeling hit the plane and the right wing dropped." The pilot stated he then applied full power and started to drop the load, but that the right wing then entered a cornfield and dragged through the corn for about 250 feet. He reported that the airplane then cartwheeled over and came to rest facing the opposite direction from takeoff. The pilot indicated that no mechanical malfunctions or failures were involved in the accident. The pilot indicated on his NTSB accident report that he believed lighter loading of the aircraft and flying over the turbulent area could have prevented the accident.
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed through an area of turbulence, resulting in entry into a stall/mush condition. Factors included tailwind conditions, trees at the end of the runway, terrain-induced turbulence, and crops near the airstrip.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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