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CEN10CA343

2010-06-19 · Virden, Illinois, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 25IL

Current FAA registration · N5120E

Make / Model
AIR TRACTOR INC AT-402B
Year of manufacture
1998 · 12 years old at event
Engine
P&W PT6A SERIES (500 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19980120
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A66B3A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's decision to take off from a wet grass runway at an airplane weight and density altitude that precluded a normal takeoff and climb.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the aerial application flight attempted a takeoff on runway 27 (2640 feet by 100 feet, turf) during which the airplane hit a bump 2/3 down the runway, became airborne, and then descended into a corn field. The airplane impacted the cornfield upright and sideways resulting in a deformed fuselage and substantial damage. The pilot stated in his recommendation not to takeoff at a heavy weight on a wet runway. The density altitude at the time of the accdient was approximately 2,854 feet mean sea level. The pilot of the aerial application flight was attempting a takeoff when the airplane hit a bump 2/3 of the way down the runway, became airborne, and then descended into a corn field. The airplane impacted the cornfield upright and sideways, resulting in a deformed fuselage and substantial damage. The pilot stated that he could have prevented the accident by not taking off at a heavy weight on a wet runway. The density altitude at the time of the accident was approximately 2,854 feet mean sea level. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Performance calculations-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-Climb capability-Attain/maintain not possible - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_CEN10CA343.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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