Qulin, MO, USA
N6180J
AIR TRACTOR INC AT 502B
The pilot reported that the agricultural airplane was loaded with 2,700 lbs of product and 130 to 140 gallons of fuel. He stated that the engine gauges had normal indications but that, during the takeoff, the airplane's tailwheel was still on the ground when the airplane was about 3/4 down the runway, and the airplane did not become airborne before the end of the runway. When the airplane reached the end of the runway, he applied full flaps to "jump" a drainage ditch at the end. The airplane then impacted the ground on the opposite side of the ditch and incurred substantial damage to the wings, landing gear, aft fuselage, and tail surfaces. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the reported fuel and product load on board, the airplane's calculated gross weight was about 523-574 lbs over the airplane's maximum gross weight. In addition, the density altitude at the time of the accident was about 2,200 ft.
On May 27, 2018, about 1200 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT502B, N6180J, impacted terrain during takeoff from a private airstrip near Qulin, Missouri. The pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by Danny's Air Agri Service, Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that the airplane was loaded with 2,700 lbs of chemical and he was using an airstrip owned by one of his customers. He noted that he had been using the airstrip for the past 14 years and knew how the airplane performed when taking off from this airstrip. He stated that the engine gauges were all indicating normal, but during the takeoff, the tailwheel of the airplane was still on the ground after the airplane had used about 3/4 of the runway length. At this point, he checked the engine instruments, and all were still indicating within normal parameters. When the airplane reached the end of the runway it was still not airborne, and the pilot applied full flaps to "jump" the ditch at the end of the runway. The airplane crossed the ditch and impacted the ground on the other side of the ditch. Examination of the airplane after the accident confirmed substantial damage to both wings, landing gear, aft fuselage and tail surfaces. No preimpact anomalies were found that would have prevented normal operation, and the pilot didn't report any mechanical issues encountered during the flight. The turf runway had a north-south orientation and was about 2,500 ft long. The takeoff was performed to the south. At the south end of the runway was a drainage ditch which separated two farm fields. The pilot reported to Federal Aviation Administration inspectors that the airplane had between 130 and 140 gallons of fuel and 2,700 lbs of chemical on-board. Based on a fuel density of 6.7 lbs per gallon, and the airplane's empty weight of 4,778 lbs, the airplane's takeoff weight was calculated to be between 8,523 and 8,574 lbs. The maximum gross weight of the airplane was listed as 8,000 lbs. At 1153, the recorded weather conditions at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Airport, Poplar Bluff, Missouri, about 12 nm north of the accident site were wind from 210 degrees at 5 kts,10 sm visibility, clear skies, temperature 30° C, dewpoint 22° C, and an altimeter setting 29.92 inches of mercury. Based on the reported weather conditions, the calculated density altitude was about 2,200 ft.
The pilot’s improper weight-and-balance calculations and his decision to take off with the airplane at a high gross weight in high density altitude conditions, which resulted in an attempted takeoff that exceeded the airplane’s performance capability. Also causal was the pilot’s failure to abort the takeoff while sufficient runway remained.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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