Air Tractor AT-402B N5120E

Summary

On 19 June 2010 at about 20:10 local time, a Air Tractor AT-402B registered N5120E, operated by C & L Holzwarth Inc, was involved in an accident near Virden, Illinois, 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

19 June 2010 at 20:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Virden, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Bob Davis Flying Service Airpo (25IL)

Coordinates

39.5156, -89.8703

Aircraft

Air Tractor AT-402B

Registration

N5120E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

C & L Holzwarth Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Virden → Virden

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN10CA343

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's decision to take off from a wet grass runway at an airplane weight and density altitude that precluded a normal takeoff and climb.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the aerial application flight was attempting a takeoff when the airplane hit a bump 2/3 of the way down the runway, became airborne, and then descended into a corn field. The airplane impacted the cornfield upright and sideways, resulting in a deformed fuselage and substantial damage. The pilot stated that he could have prevented the accident by not taking off at a heavy weight on a wet runway. The density altitude at the time of the accident was approximately 2,854 feet mean sea level.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.