Pilot Debrief

AIR TRACTOR INC AT 502B near Qulin, MO — 2018-05-27

Final reportCEN18LA194
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Date
2018-05-27
Location
Qulin, MO, USA
Airport
PVT
Aircraft
AIR TRACTOR INC AT 502B
Registration
N6180J
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

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.

NTSB narrative

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.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff when the tailwheel remained on the ground.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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