Accident Overview
On August 1, 2015, at 1340 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502B airplane, registration N502LH, impacted terrain after departure from the private Holzwarth Flying Service Airport near Virden, Illinois. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The aircraft was registered to and operated by C & L Holzwarth Inc. under 14 CFR Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
Pilot Narrative
According to the pilot, the airplane had just been loaded and he was beginning his sixth aerial application flight of the day. During previous flights, the wind was from the southwest/southeast at less than 5 knots. Before departure, he checked the windsock, which indicated wind from the southwest, and his handheld GPS, which showed local area winds mainly from the west at 3-5 knots. The pilot started the takeoff roll on the west runway. Three-quarters of the way down the runway, the airspeed had not reached takeoff speed. He jettisoned some of the load to clear the corn at the west end of the runway. After clearing the corn, he ceased jettisoning. The airplane began to descend, so he resumed jettisoning the load. The airplane continued to descend, made a hard left bank, and impacted the ground. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Investigation Findings
The pilot returned to the airport by car 15 minutes after the accident and checked the windsock, which revealed wind from the southeast. He was uncertain if the wind shifted during the takeoff roll. The responding FAA inspector confirmed substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and empennage. The airplane came to rest in a corn field, facing 180 degrees from the departure heading, approximately 1,200 feet from the end of the runway. Witnesses confirmed that immediately after the accident, the wind was from the southeast at about 6 knots. The airplane was being operated within weight limits: the hopper load was 3,897.42 pounds (maximum 4,100 pounds), and the gross weight was 9,367 pounds (maximum 9,400 pounds).
Airport Information
The airport was equipped with a single asphalt runway, 2,640 feet by 100 feet, oriented on magnetic headings of 090 and 270.