Agricultural Airstrip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mendota, California 93640
Friday, July 23, 2004 5:20 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The airplane collided with high vegetation and terrain during the initial climb from a dirt airstrip on an agricultural application flight. Prior to takeoff, the pilot failed to lower the wing flaps to the 10-degree setting that he had utilized on his previous takeoffs from the airstrip. While on the takeoff roll, the pilot realized that he had not configured the airplane with the flap setting he was accustomed to using, and he attempted to extend the flaps. Despite his attempts, the flaps remained in the retracted position for undetermined reasons. With about 20 feet of runway remaining, the pilot attempted to release the load. However, he tried but failed to deploy the cargo dump handle. The airplane lifted off the runway but was unable to gain enough altitude to clear the nearby 5- to 6-foot-tall corn crop. After impacting the corn, the airplane stalled, impacted the ground, and cartwheeled three times before coming to a stop inverted.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inadequate preflight/pretakeoff procedure by not lowering the wing flaps, which resulted in an inadvertent stall as the pilot attempted to climb out of ground effect to clear a corn crop at the end of the runway. A factor in the accident was the failure, for undetermined reasons, of the flaps to deploy during the takeoff roll when the pilot moved the switch.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/23/2004
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 520
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City Mendota
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93640
Event Date Year 2004
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 364513N
Event Location Longitude 1202250W
Event Location Airport Agricultural airstrip
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 282
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID --
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 20
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator --
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator Light and Variable
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 17770
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Jul 23 2004 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1100
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jun 8 2005 12:51PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office WP-FAT-FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5010E
NTSB Number LAX04LA275
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 137: Agricultural
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Air Tractor
Aircraft Model AT-502B
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 502B-0414
Certified Max Gross Weight 10000
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 Mar 17 2004 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 233
Airframe Hours 3538
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Larry. T Neal
Aircraft Owner Street Address On File
Aircraft Owner City Slaton
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 79364
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Douglas Thiel
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address On File
Operator City Chowchilla
Operator State CA
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 93610
Operator Code T9DG
Owner has at least one certificate --
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Agriculture
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Aerial Application
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code --
Departure City Mendota
Departure State CA
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 520
Departure Time Zone PDT
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 - initial climb
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Apr 8 2005 5:40PM
User who most recently changed record COOS
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location 36
Runway Length 2600
Runway Width 60
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --