On March 3, 1998, an Air Tractor AT-502B (registration N60762) was involved in an aviation accident near Lake Village, AR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's use of unsuitable terrain for takeoff. A factor was the rough/uneven terrain. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aerial application aircraft overturned after its right main landing gear entered a rut during takeoff, causing it to veer into soft ground. The pilot had previously inspected the airstrip.
Accident Details
An aerial application aircraft, loaded with 350 gallons of liquid fertilizer, was conducting a takeoff. As the airplane's tail lifted off the ground, the right main landing gear entered a rut. This caused the aircraft to decelerate and veer to the right into soft ground, subsequently flipping over onto its back.
Pilot's Actions
The pilot stated that prior to his initial landing to the airstrip, he and the landowner drove up and down the strip several times to test its condition. He noted that the strip was slightly rough but believed it was firm enough for operations. During the initial landing, the pilot did not observe any problems with the strip.