NTSB Factual Report

On August 21, 2017, about 1830 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-402A, N247LA, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during takeoff from Tapley Airport (1MS0), Shaw, Mississippi. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated by Boair Inc. as an aerial application flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.

According to the pilot, after taxiing to, and lining up on runway 27 at 1MS0 with a full load of herbicide onboard, he applied power for takeoff. He noticed that the engine was at maximum torque and maximum rpm. When the airplane reached the end of the paved portion of the runway, he could "feel that the airplane did not want to fly." He then lowered the wing flaps and "pushed the throttle to the stop," but the airplane was still not flying. As he approached the end of the runway, he dumped the load of herbicide that was in the hopper tank. Then as he left the runway, the left wing "went down" and the right wing "went up," and the main landing gear separated from the airplane as the airplane crossed a drainage ditch. The airplane then slid, spun around, and came to rest in a bean field.

The pilot also advised that before this flight, he had been flying all day, and had previously taken two loads of the same mixture and quantity in the hopper tank with no indication of any problems.

Cursory examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), inspector, revealed that the airplane was substantially damaged. The aft fuselage was bent and torn almost in half, the main landing gear had separated from its mounting position, the tail wheel was damaged, and the right and left wings were bent and twisted.

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records and pilot records, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on November 16, 2016. He reported that he had accrued 5,400 total hours of flight experience, 3,850 of which was in the accident airplane make and model.

According to FAA airworthiness and maintenance records, the airplane was manufactured in 2012. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on March 1, 2017. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accrued 2,679 total hours of operation.

The reported weather at Cleveland Municipal Airport (RNV), located 10 nautical miles north of the accident site, at 1835, included: wind 280° at 4 knots, 10 miles visibility, scattered clouds at 4,800 ft., temperature 33° C, dew point 24° degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.04 inches of mercury.

The wreckage was retained by the NTSB for further examination.