Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18 N203H

Summary

On 8 May 2004 at about 15:15 local time, a Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18 registered N203H, operated by Chris Van Houten, was involved in an accident near Brinkley, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 May 2004 at 15:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Brinkley, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

Gibbs Strip (private)

Coordinates

34.8803, -91.1764

Aircraft

Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18

Registration

N203H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Chris Van Houten

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Brinkley → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW04LA127

Nobody was injured.

The pilots failure to attain flying airspeed after takeoff. A factor was the overloading of agricultural chemicals that exceeded the airplane's maximum takeoff weight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 6,500-hour commercial pilot flying the radial engine powered agricultural airplane, was taking off from a 1/2-mile long private grass airstrip, loaded with sulfides to spray a local field. As the airplane became airborne, it settled at the departure end of the runway, and impacted a slightly elevated roadway berm which was oriented perpendicular to the departure end of the runway. The pilot reported that he believed that he loaded "too much" sulfides in the hopper, and the airplane "stalled" just after liftoff. According to the operator, the maximum takeoff weight of the airplane was 11,700 pounds (with a STC for a 800-gallon hopper). The pilot stated that he did not know his exact takeoff weight at the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.