No fatalities

25 Apr 2008: Air Tractor AT-402 — Devil Dusters, Inc — Carlsbad, NM

Carlsbad, NM, United States

On 25 Apr 2008, an Air Tractor AT-402 operated by Devil Dusters, Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Carlsbad, NM. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper decision to takeoff uphill with full fuel and fuel chemical load. A factor was the pilot's failure to calculate performance data. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A commercial pilot with 15,600 hours attempted takeoff on an upslope runway with full fuel and chemical load. The aircraft failed to climb, settled back, and cartwheeled after impact. The pilot was uninjured.

Accident Summary

A commercial-rated pilot, holding 15,600 hours of flight experience, was initiating the first aerial application flight of the day. The pilot decided to conduct the takeoff with a full fuel load and a full hopper of chemicals on an upslope runway. During the takeoff roll, the airplane was unable to establish an initial climb and began to settle back to the ground. The pilot attempted to dump the chemical load but was unsuccessful. The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground and cartwheeled, coming to rest in the upright position.

Pilot and Injuries

The pilot was not injured and was able to exit the aircraft unassisted.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, landing gear, engine case, propellers, and empennage.

Weather Conditions

Weather reported at the time of the accident was winds from 340 degrees at 23 knots, gusting to 28 knots.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa