Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather conditions and his failure to maintain aircraft control which resulted in a stall/mush. Factors associated with the accident were the tailwind condition and the soft terrain.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On June 25, 1998, at 0900 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-301, N31677, operated by Tri County Ag Service, Inc., collided with the terrain and nosed over following a loss of control on takeoff from Rappe Field, a private airstrip, in Ipswich, South Dakota. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The airplane was taking off to the north when the accident occurred. The pilot reported that during the initial takeoff climb, shortly after rotation, a sudden gust of wind from the south was experienced. He reported the airplane stalled and then "mushed." The airplane traveled off the end of the runway into a wet oat field where the airplane nosed over.
The pilot reported the local winds were from the west at 6 knots. The 0856 cdt weather observation for Aberdeen, South Dakota, 19 miles east of the accident site, reported the winds were from 230 degrees at 7 knots.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI98LA217