CEN18LA288

Factual narrative

On July 22, 2018, about 1330 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-301 airplane, N3169H, was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain after takeoff from a private airstrip (2,000 ft by 50 ft, turf) near Milford, Iowa. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by private individuals as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural application flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight was originating from the private airstrip at the time of the accident.The operator reported that the pilot conducted application flights earlier in the day. During the accident takeoff, the airplane "quickly whipped" to the left upon reaching about 8 ft above ground level. The airplane impacted a corn field and came to rest upright, about 70 ft west of the runway, with substantial damage to both wings and the aft fuselage. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector conducted a postrecovery airframe examination. He reported that flight control continuity was confirmed and that no anomalies consistent with a preimpact malfunction were observed. The pilot informed the inspector that there were no issues with the engine during the accident takeoff. The pilot commented that he commonly used a gentle rise in the runway to assist the airplane to become airborne during takeoff. The operator reported that the airplane weight at the time of the accident was about 5,840 lbs., with a maximum allowable gross weight for the operation of 7,400 lbs. The airplane chemical hopper was about one-half full at the time of the accident. The operator reported that, during takeoff for an agricultural application flight, the airplane "quickly whipped" left almost immediately after becoming airborne. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a cornfield and then came to rest about 70 ft west of the runway. Postaccident airframe examination did not reveal evidence of any preimpact anomalies with the flight control system that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that there were no issues with the engine during the takeoff. The pilot added that he commonly used a gentle rise in the runway to assist the airplane to become airborne during takeoff; however, the investigation could not determine if this played a role in the loss of airplane control. Based on the available evidence, the investigation could not determine the reason for the pilot's loss of airplane control. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• C Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C