The pilot reported that he did not want to take off from the wet grass airstrip he normally used, so he decided to take off from an asphalt road that paralleled the grass on the left side of the airstrip in Crowley, Louisiana.
During the takeoff roll, the Air Tractor AT 402’s left wing hit tall vegetation, and the plane veered left and exited the road, then hit a drainage culvert.
The plane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the empennage.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause: The pilot’s selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff, which resulted in a collision with vegetation and a subsequent loss of directional control.
NTSB Identification: GAA19CA010
This October 2018 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
