Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hubler Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Caldwell, Idaho 83605
Wednesday, July 3, 2013 6:05 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that, when he applied power for takeoff on an aerial application flight, the airplane seemed to accelerate normally until the tailwheel lifted off the ground. He adjusted the power lever forward, but the torque did not seem to increase. The pilot stated that, at that point, it was “unlikely” that the airplane would lift off the ground before it reached the end of the runway but that it was “too late to abort” the takeoff. The pilot advanced the power lever full forward and held it there. He then jettisoned the applicant load and simultaneously pulled back on the control stick. The main landing gear wheels lifted off the ground but the tailwheel did not. The airplane subsequently collided with a fence and came to rest in a river. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. An 8-knot tailwind existed at the time of the takeoff, which most likely resulted in the airplane’s performance deficiency. The pilot further reported that “a more prompt recognition of the problem and an earlier decision to dump the load [of applicant] may possibly have prevented the aircraft from hitting the fence.”
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s improper decision to continue the takeoff with a tailwind after he recognized a performance problem with the airplane and his delayed action to dump the chemical load.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/3/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 605 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Caldwell |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83605 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 434151N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1163840W |
| Event Location Airport | Hubler Field Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ID00 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.25 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2385 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 615 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 175 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EUL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2426 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| 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) | 30.04 |
| 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) | 32371 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2013 5:07PM |
| User who most recently changed record | eckd |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7643J |
| NTSB Number | WPR13LA308 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | WSK PZL MIELEC |
| Aircraft Model | M-18B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1Z025-18 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 11700 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 1 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6523 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | VALLEY AIR SERVICE INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5103 HUBLER LN |
| Aircraft Owner City | CALDWELL |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83605-8108 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | VALLEY AIR SERVICE INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 5103 HUBLER LN |
| Operator City | CALDWELL |
| Operator State | ID |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 83605-8108 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | ID00 |
| Departure City | Caldwell |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 605 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ID00 |
| Destination City | Caldwell |
| Destination State | ID |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2013 12:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | eckd |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 28 |
| Runway Length | 2800 |
| Runway Width | 20 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |