NTSB Factual Report

On November 12, 2003, approximately 1400 central standard time, an Air Tractor AT-301 single-engine tailwheel equipped airplane, N1361E, was substantially damaged when it struck a fence and impacted the ground during a forced landing after takeoff from an airstrip near San Angelo, Texas. The non-instrument rated commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. The local fight originated from the operator's private airstrip, approximately three minutes prior to the accident.

The airstrip has a north-south runway, which is 2,880 feet long and 30 feet wide. The airplane departed to the south. The 7,169-hour pilot reported to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, that the airplane climbed to about 30 feet, cleared trees at the end of the runway, and then settled back toward the ground. The pilot dumped the liquid chemical load, but the left wing struck a fence before impacting the ground, which rotated the airplane 180 degrees. The pilot stated that he had been taking off to the south all day, but "believes the wind had shifted due to an approaching weather front." The airstrip does not have a wind vane.

The FAA inspector reported that the empennage was folded, and the main landing gear was separated from the fuselage.

At San Angelo Regional Airport (SJT), about 15 miles west of the accident site, the automated surface observing system reported winds as follows: at 1253, wind 270 degrees and 7 knots, at 1353, wind 350 degrees and 7 knots, and at 1453, wind 010 degrees and 7 knots.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's improper weather evaluation and the wrong runway selection. A contributing factor was the tailwind.