NTSB Factual Report

On August 1, 2015, at 1340 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502B airplane, N502LH, impacted terrain after departure from the private Holzwarth Flying Service Airport, near Virden, Illinois. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by C & L Holzwarth Inc., Virden, Illinois, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations 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.

According to the pilot, the airplane had just been loaded and he was beginning his sixth aerial application flight of the day. He noted that during the previous flights the wind was from the southwest/southeast and less than 5 knots. Prior to departure, he checked the wind sock which indicated the wind was from the southwest. He also checked his handheld GPS which indicated the local area winds were mainly from the west at 3-5 knots. The pilot started the takeoff roll on the west runway and noted that ¾ of the way down the runway the airspeed had not yet reached takeoff speed. He jettisoned some of the load in order to clear the corn at the west end of the runway. When the airplane cleared the corn, the pilot ceased the jettison. The airplane began to descend so the pilot resumed jettisoning the load. The airplane continued to descend, made a hard left bank and impacted the ground. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The pilot returned to the airport by car 15 minutes after the accident and checked the wind sock which revealed the wind was from the southeast. The pilot was uncertain if the wind shifted during the accident takeoff roll.

The responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector confirmed substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings and empennage. The airplane came to rest in the corn field; it faced 180 degrees from the direction of departure heading and 1,200 feet from the end of the runway. Witnesses confirmed that immediately after the accident the wind was from the southeast about 6 knots. Also, the airplane was being operated within the weight limits. The maximum hopper load was 4,100 lbs; the hopper weight was 3,897.42 lbs. The maximum aircraft gross weight was 9,400 lbs; the actual airplane gross weight was 9,367 lbs.

The airport was equipped with a single asphalt runway, 2,640 ft by 100 ft, oriented on a magnetic heading of 090 and 270.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s failure to establish a proper airspeed during takeoff with the airplane near its maximum gross weight and with a quartering tailwind.