NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CEN15CA184
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot did not maintain directional control of the airplane in gusting wind conditions.
Factual narrative
According to the accident pilot, the agricultural airplane was loaded with 120 gallons of product and the fuel tanks were half full. During the takeoff roll about one-third down the runway, he airplane encountered a gust of wind. The airplane veered left and exited the runway into tall grass. The pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane back to the runway to continue the takeoff. The airplane collided with a barbed wire fence and rotated 180 degrees. The responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that the airplane had no mechanical malfunctions or failures and the engine was producing power. According to the accident pilot, the agricultural airplane was loaded with 120 gallons of product and the fuel tanks were half full. During the takeoff roll about one-third down the runway, he airplane encountered a gust of wind. The airplane veered left and exited the runway into tall grass. The pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane back to the runway to continue the takeoff. The airplane collided with a barbed wire fence and rotated 180 degrees. The responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that the airplane had no mechanical malfunctions or failures and the engine was producing power. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Response/compensation - C
- C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Crosswind correction-Not attained/maintained - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2015_CEN15CA184.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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