Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Private Airstrip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Brownwood, Texas 76081
Friday, May 14, 1999 12:09 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that during the 3 weeks prior to the accident, he had averaged 15-hour work days. On the day of the accident, the pilot's first flight, which was a ferry flight to the airstrip, commenced at 0600. At 0722, he began the aerial application flights. At 1203, the airplane returned from the 20th application flight and was refueled. During the refueling, the pilot retracted the flaps to 'improve the footing' of the person who was fueling the left main fuel tank. The pilot stated that he did not extend the flaps prior to the 21st takeoff, and he did not use a checklist. The pilot stated that after takeoff the 'airplane wouldn't climb.' The airplane impacted trees during the initial climb after takeoff. The airplane flight manual requires that the flaps be extended 10 degrees prior to takeoff with a full hopper load or from a 'short' runway. The flap actuator jack screw and ball nut assembly were examined, and the ball nut was observed within 1/4 inch of the large gear-box ball bearing on the jack screw. This finding is consistent with the flaps being in the retracted position.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the pilot-in-command to use the manufacturer's published checklist and extend the flaps prior to takeoff. A factor was the pilot's fatigued physiological condition as a result of extended flight and ground duty hours.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/14/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1209 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | BROWNWOOD |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76081 |
| 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 | PRIVATE AIRSTRIP |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 135 |
| Airport Elevation | 1370 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1255 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 200 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MWL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 973 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 70 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 3558 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 834 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 14 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1420 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4329S |
| NTSB Number | FTW99LA140 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Air Tractor |
| Aircraft Model | AT-301 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AT-301 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 301-0009 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7200 |
| 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 | Apr 1 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 100 |
| Airframe Hours | 5096 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AG-AIR EQUPIMENT INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P. O. BOX 4082 |
| Aircraft Owner City | WICHITA FALLS |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76308 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | FLYING V AIR SERVICE, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | FIVG |
| 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 | 1209 |
| 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 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 13 |
| Runway Length | 3000 |
| Runway Width | 30 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |