Piper PA-36-285 N57736 accident near Havre, Montana

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.

NTSB analysis

The pilot had just picked up a load for aerial spraying operations and was taking off on a road. He accelerated to approximately 72 mph with 15 degrees of flaps. The airplane lifted off the road momentarily before settling back down onto the ground. He then lost directional control of the airplane and exited to the left of the road, colliding with a fence. The airplane came to rest approximately 15 to 20 feet from the road. The pilot reported that he thought he may have hit the wake of a second airplane that was working in the area and had taken off before him three minutes prior to his takeoff attempt. According to a weather reporting facility located 10 miles to the south, the wind at the time of the accident was calm. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR11CA281 for the full record.