What happened
The aircraft made contact with the ground in a cotton field during an uncontrolled descent that occurred while the aircraft was taking off. The pilot was test flying the aircraft in anticipation of possibly purchasing it. The pilot reported that when approximately half the way down the runway, the aircraft did not appear as though it would clear trees at the end of the runway. He elected to continue the takeoff and dump the 110 gallon load of water on board. Upon crossing the end of the runway at an altitude of 10 to 20 feet above ground level, the pilot initiated a turn to avoid the trees. During the turn, the pilot intended to dump the load, but he inadvertently deployed the flaps. The aircraft then settled into the cotton field. The aircraft owner stated the pilot was briefed on takeoff distances and the aircraft performance, however, he failed to use all available runway for the takeoff.
Findings
- insufficient climb performance during the initial phase of the takeoff roll
- inadvertent flap deployment while maneuvering at low altitude
- failure to utilize the full length of the available runway before rotating