No fatalities

15 Jun 2012: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502 — TRI-COUNTY AG SERVICE INC — Ipswich, SD

Ipswich, SD, United States

On 15 Jun 2012, an AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502 operated by TRI-COUNTY AG SERVICE INC was involved in an aviation accident near Ipswich, SD. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 13 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

An aerial application airplane, at maximum gross takeoff weight with 10 degrees of flaps, departed from a 2,400-foot asphalt runway. The pilot reported tall trees blocking wind created a void, leading to an extended roll. Adding more flaps did not get airborne; the airplane went off the runway, hit a ditch, and skidded into a field, sustaining substantial damage.

Departure and Configuration

The airplane was departing from a 2,400-foot asphalt runway for an aerial application flight. It was loaded to its maximum gross takeoff weight and configured with 10 degrees of flaps prior to the takeoff roll.

Pilot's Account

The pilot reported that a tall stand of trees at the southeast side of the departure end of the runway blocked the wind and seemed to “create a void in the air,” which resulted in an extended takeoff roll. Electing not to abort the takeoff, the pilot added more flaps, but the airplane was unable to get airborne.

Accident Sequence

After the extended takeoff roll, the airplane went off the end of the runway, hit a ditch, and skidded across the road into a field. The landing gear separated from the airframe, and the airplane’s fuselage and control surfaces sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunction occurred during the attempted takeoff.

Contributing factors

Pilot