On July 21, 1999, an Air Tractor AT-502B (registration N6073U) was involved in an aviation accident near Marvel, AR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to attain the proper takeoff airspeed. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aerial application airplane struck a plastic irrigation pipe and skimmed a cotton field for 2,000 feet before coming to rest inverted during takeoff from a private airstrip.
Incident Summary
During takeoff from a private airstrip, an aerial application airplane skimmed the top of a cotton field. The pilot had taken off with a 'heavy load of fertilizer.' The departure was to the north on a runway measuring approximately 3,000 feet long, which was half paved and half turf.
Accident Site Examination
An examination of the accident site revealed that a thin-walled plastic pipe carrying water for crops had been struck by the airplane. Evidence indicated that the airplane continued to 'skim the top of a cotton field for 2,000 feet.' The airplane came to rest inverted in the cotton field.