Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sheffield-Smith Airstrip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Altus, Oklahoma 73521
Tuesady, May 25, 1999 17:20 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The Dromader was departing from an 1,800 foot runway with a 250 foot overrun. The airplane was estimated to be 273 pounds overweight, and the density altitude was 3,244 feet. The pilot had set his flaps at 9 degrees, although other operators of the Dromader recommended 15 to 20 degrees of flaps for heavy gross weight takeoffs. The manufacturer's performance charts indicate that 1,800 feet is needed for a 10 degree flap takeoff under these conditions. A witness said that the airplane's engine was running smoothly, but the ground run appeared unusually long, and he saw it hit a small earthen berm at liftoff. He said the airplane popped up, then down, up again, and then nosed over onto its back. The airplane was found with its left main wheel separated, the crew compartment collapsed, the gate box (dump doors) closed, and approximately 510 gallons of applicant in the hopper. The engine was test run in its fuselage and operated normally with the exception of a 'popping' noise heard on its fourth run. Two exhaust valves were found heat blued, and one of the valves had a rub mark down its stem suggesting that it might have been stuck on some occasion.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's disregard of takeoff performance data and his failure to jettison the load. Contributing factors were high density altitude, exceeding the aircraft's maximum allowable gross weight, and the berm.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/25/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1720 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | ALTUS |
| Event State | OKLAHOMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 73521 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SHEFFIELD-SMITH AIRSTRIP |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | OK83 |
| 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 | 170 |
| Airport Elevation | 1355 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1659 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LTS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1381 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 30000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 3276 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1522 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 26 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 908 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 23 2001 9:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8199W |
| NTSB Number | DEN99FA086 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PZL-Mielec |
| Aircraft Model | M-18B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | M-18B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1Z027-25 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 11700 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 84 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TERRY L. PITTS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 874 |
| Aircraft Owner City | ALTUS |
| Aircraft Owner State | OK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 73522 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | PT9G |
| 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 | OK83 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1720 |
| 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 23 2001 11:29AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 17 |
| Runway Length | 1800 |
| Runway Width | 25 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |