Air Tractor Inc AT-602 N5035R accident near Branch, Louisiana

Probable cause

An exceedance of the airplane's takeoff/climb capability, which resulted in a stall during initial climb at an altitude that was too low for recovery.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was departing in tailwind conditions on an aerial application flight from a 1,800-foot-long turf runway with a full payload of fertilizer. The pilot stated that the engine lost power during initial climb and that he had insufficient time to dump the payload before impacting a pond off the end of the runway. Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. According to the airplane manufacturer's calculations, the calculated takeoff distance given the conditions present at the time of the accident exceeded the runway length available; however, the airplane's performance specifications were not available in the POH, which precluded the pilot from conducting performance calculations before takeoff. It is likely that, as the airplane neared the end of the runway, the pilot lifted the airplane off the ground prematurely and attempted to climb at a steep attitude, which exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN15LA276 for the full record.