Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Seven Rivers Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Carlsbad, New Mexico 88254
Friday, April 25, 2008 8:00 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The 15,600 hour commercial rated pilot was initiating the first aerial application flight of the day and decided to make the takeoff with a full fuel load and full hopper of chemicals on an upslope runway. The airplane was not able to establish an initial climb and began to settle back to the ground. The pilot attempted to dump the chemical load, but was unsuccessful and the airplane impacted the ground and cart wheeled, coming to rest in the upright position. The pilot was not injured and was able to exit the aircraft unassisted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, landing gear, engine case, propellers, and empennage. Weather reported at the time of the accident was winds 340 degrees at 23 knots gusting to 28 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper decision to takeoff uphill with full fuel and fuel chemical load. A factor was the pilot's failure to calculate performance data.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/25/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 800 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Carlsbad |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 88254 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 323533N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1042520W |
| Event Location Airport | Seven Rivers Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 62NM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 3360 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KATS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3541 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 23 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 28 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.08 |
| 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) | 23659 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ABQ Flight Standards Disctrict |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 25 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 28 2008 12:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Albuquerue, NM |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N402SK |
| NTSB Number | DFW08CA116 |
| 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-402 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 402-0895 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 8600 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 8462 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Devil Dusters, Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO Box 1604 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Artesia |
| Aircraft Owner State | NM |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 88211 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | WBMG |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 62NM |
| Departure City | Carlsbad |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 800 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| 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 | May 20 2008 11:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | GAMW |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 28 |
| Runway Length | 3210 |
| Runway Width | 30 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |