Agricultural Aircraft Strikes Cow During Takeoff from Field Strip (N9557G)

Incident Overview

An agricultural aircraft pilot had landed in a farmer's field to reload the sprayer tank. Before initiating takeoff, the pilot observed that some cows had strayed onto the dirt strip. The pilot directed the loadcrew assistant to use his truck to clear the cows from the strip.

Sequence of Events

After the cows were cleared, the assistant parked the truck approximately 400 to 600 feet from the end of the strip. The truck was positioned facing perpendicular to the direction of takeoff. As the pilot began the takeoff roll, a cow ran across the strip from behind the truck. From that point, the pilot was unable to avoid hitting the cow. The right main landing gear struck the cow, causing the aircraft to veer to the right and subsequently strike a fence.