N5016P – AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B – 2012-05-07 NTSB Accident Report

On May 07, 2012, a Air Tractor INC AT-502B (N5016P) was involved in an incident near El Campo, TX. 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 rotate early, the airplane’s subsequent inability to climb, and the pilot’s delayed decision to abort the takeoff.

While departing a private airstrip, the pilot rotated the airplane for takeoff early in order to avoid ground equipment near the end of the runway. As a result, the airplane did not climb and settled back to the runway. The airplane would not become airborne so the pilot aborted the takeoff. However, the airplane was traveling too fast to stop on the runway. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to avoid the parked vehicles, but collided with obstacles and terrain resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN12CA301. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5016P.