What happened
During a series of superphosphate spreading operations, an aircraft was engaged in a routine mission involving one-tonne loads every six minutes. At the time of the accident, the pilot was performing his 25th takeoff of the day, approximately one hour after the last refueling. Observers noted that the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver failed to lift off at the expected point, which is typically two-thirds along the 675-metre runway strip.
While the aircraft eventually achieved lift-off at the very end of the airstrip, it immediately struck a fence. Following this impact, the plane climbed at an unusually steep angle for approximately 250 metres beyond the obstacle. Suddenly, the nose of the aircraft dropped, sending the plane into a steep dive toward the rising terrain. The subsequent impact triggered a fire that destroyed much of the wreckage. There was one fatality involving the pilot, who was the only person on board.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified that the engine suffered from fuel starvation during the takeoff roll. It was determined that the fuel selector was in the "off" position at the time of the failure. The pilot, who was operating this specific aircraft for the first time that day, had previously flown a different model with a different selector configuration. In his previous aircraft, a 180-degree anti-clockwise rotation switched between tanks, whereas in this aircraft, the same movement moved the selector to the off position.
It is believed the pilot began the takeoff using the nearly empty rear tank. When the low fuel warning light and bell activated during the roll, the pilot attempted to adjust the selector by feel without looking. This action inadvertently cut the fuel supply, leading to the engine failure and the subsequent stall at an altitude too low for recovery.