Accident Details
A pilot attempted to take off from a wet, muddy sod runway that was 2,600 feet long at an elevation of 3,300 feet MSL. The airplane was loaded with full fuel and 70 gallons of 2-4-D herbicide. The computed weight was below the maximum certificated gross weight.
The pilot set the flaps to 5 degrees; however, optimum takeoff performance for the airplane is achieved with 20 degrees of flaps. The ambient temperature was approximately 88 degrees Fahrenheit, and the wind was reported from the west-northwest at 2 to 3 miles per hour.
According to performance figures, the airplane should have been able to take off under these conditions.
Pilot Statements
The pilot informed an FAA inspector that the airplane lifted off momentarily then settled back onto the runway. In the pilot's accident report, the pilot stated that the airplane did not become airborne. This discrepancy could not be resolved.
The pilot further stated that the airplane departed the left side of the runway, went through a small pond, struck the shoulder of a road, slid across the road, and came to rest on its nose in a large pond.
Aircraft Damage
The airplane sustained damage during the sequence of events, coming to rest in the large pond after impacting the road shoulder.