N5120E – AIR TRACTOR AT-402B – 2010-06-19 NTSB Accident Report

On June 19, 2010, a Air Tractor AT-402B (N5120E) was involved in an incident near Virden, IL. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's decision to take off from a wet grass runway at an airplane weight and density altitude that precluded a normal takeoff and climb.

The pilot of the aerial application flight attempted a takeoff on runway 27 (2640 feet by 100 feet, turf) during which the airplane hit a bump 2/3 down the runway, became airborne, and then descended into a corn field. The airplane impacted the cornfield upright and sideways resulting in a deformed fuselage and substantial damage. The pilot stated in his recommendation not to takeoff at a heavy weight on a wet runway. The density altitude at the time of the accdient was approximately 2,854 feet mean sea level.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN10CA343. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5120E.