Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Harlan Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Harlan, Iowa 51537
Monday, August 10, 2009 10:35 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that the airplane would not climb out of ground effect during takeoff. The airplane settled into a corn field located off the end of the 3,100-foot-long asphalt runway. The left landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the wings. The maximum certified gross weight of the airplane was 4,500 pounds with a basic empty weight of 3,093.8 pounds. The airplane was loaded with 80 gallons of fuel (480 pounds) and 170 gallons (1,419.5 pounds) of water/chemical mix. The pilot's weight was approximately 185 pounds. The airplane was approximately 678.3 pounds over the maximum gross weight at the time of the takeoff.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to perform accurate weight and balance calculations which resulted in exceeding the maximum takeoff weight and the airplane's climb capability.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/10/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1035 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Harlan |
| Event State | IOWA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 51537 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 413506N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0952038W |
| Event Location Airport | Harlan Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HNR |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1231 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1052 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 235 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OMA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1563 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 900 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 30 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.06 |
| 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) | 27284 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA- Des Moines FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 14 2010 12:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4598 |
| NTSB Number | CEN09CA516 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GRUMMAN ACFT ENG COR-SCHWEIZER |
| Aircraft Model | G-164A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1068 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4500 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Paulsen Ag Spraying |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | HARLAN |
| Aircraft Owner State | IA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 51537-5924 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Paulsen Ag Spraying |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | HARLAN |
| Operator State | IA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 51537-5924 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| 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 | HNR |
| Departure City | Harlan |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1035 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | HNR |
| Destination City | Harlan |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 14 2010 12:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 33 |
| Runway Length | 4100 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |