Accident Overview
An agricultural airplane departing a private airstrip for a local aerial application flight overran the departure end of the strip and sustained damage. The incident occurred during an attempted takeoff with a load of cotton defoliant.
Sequence of Events
According to an FAA inspector, the pilot was attempting to take off from a 2,300-foot-long dirt airstrip with a 3,040-pound payload of cotton defoliant. The airplane failed to become airborne and continued beyond the end of the strip. The inspector stated that the airplane managed to break ground, but its wheels dragged on cotton plants, causing deceleration. The airplane eventually reached a point where flight could not be maintained. Subsequently, the airplane encountered furrows that were perpendicular to its takeoff path, resulting in damage.
Pilot Statements
The pilot reported that the gross weight of the airplane exceeded its ability to become airborne within the available runway length. He also noted that attempts to jettison the load near the end of the airstrip were not made in sufficient time to prevent running off the end.
Environmental Factors
Based on figures provided by the operator, the density altitude at the time of the incident was calculated to be 9,500 feet. The approved airplane flight manual did not contain performance data for the required takeoff roll under the prevailing conditions.