On July 8, 1994, a Piper PA-25-260 (registration N9561P) was involved in an aviation accident near Crosby, ND. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll. Factors associated with the accident are the rough runway, and the pilot's improper preflight planning. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During takeoff from a rough turf strip, an agricultural spray plane's left main gear wheel dropped into a ridge, causing the spray boom to catch in bordering wheat. The pilot lost directional control and the aircraft went into the wheat field.
Incident Overview
An agricultural spray plane was involved in a takeoff accident from a rough, turf farm strip. According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, the left main gear wheel dropped into a ridge in the surface. This caused the spray boom to catch in the wheat bordering the runway. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane subsequently departed the runway and went into the adjacent wheat field.
Mechanical Condition
No preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane were claimed by the pilot or discovered during post-incident examination.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported feeling the left main gear wheel drop into a ridge during the takeoff roll. The resulting contact between the spray boom and the wheat crop led to a loss of directional control.