Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Sitzman Farm Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tappen, North Dakota 58487
Thursday, September 10, 1998 19:10 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot said that the airplane lifted off normally, but then wanted to set back down. The pilot lowered the flaps to 15-degrees in hopes of keeping the airplane from settling. Lowering flaps did not seem to help. The pilot said that he then went for the dump handle, but could not find it initially. When he did find it, the airplane impacted into a swamp just off the end of the 3,000 foot long airstrip. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies. According to the Takeoff Distance Chart in the PZL M18B Aircraft Flight Manual, an airplane with atomizers and zero flaps extended, weighing 10,700 pounds, at a temperature of 33 degrees Centigrade, and zero headwind, will require a takeoff distance of approximately 3,600 feet.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's improper preflight preparation resulting in the airplane exceeding the available airstrip distance during takeoff. A factor contributing to this accident was the swamp.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/10/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1910 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | TAPPEN |
| Event State | NORTH DAKOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 58487 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SITZMAN FARM |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 270 |
| Airport Elevation | 1750 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1855 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 255 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BIS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1677 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 43 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 4 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 702 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 10 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2241 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4450M |
| NTSB Number | CHI98LA337 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | WSK PZL Mielec |
| Aircraft Model | PZL M18B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PZL M18B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1Z027-06 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 11970 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 206 |
| Airframe Hours | 206 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KRATZ AERIAL AG SERVICE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7342 COUNTY ROAD 60 |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAMOURE |
| Aircraft Owner State | ND |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 58458 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MICHAEL KRATZ |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 10025 81ST STREET SE |
| Operator City | FULLERTON |
| Operator State | ND |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 58441 |
| Operator Code | GL21 |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1910 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 27 |
| Runway Length | 3000 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |