Primary finding
Probable cause
failure of the pilot to compensate for crosswind conditions and to maintain proper runway alignment. Factors relating to the accident were: the crosswind, narrow runway condition, and the soft terrain and ditch beside the runway.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot encountered a crosswind during the takeoff ground roll on a narrow airstrip. The airplane's left wheel drifted off the surface of the airstrip onto the soft shoulder, and the pilot lost control. The airplane then nosed down into a ditch and nosed over.
Source record
Factual narrative
On February 8, 1997, at 1000 hours Pacific standard time, an Ayres S2R-T65, N3101K, lost control during the takeoff ground run from the Bullard airstrip, veered off the runway and nosed over about 3 miles southwest of Firebaugh, California. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated as an aerial application flight by Tri Air, Inc., under 14 CFR Part 137. The local agricultural flight was dispensing fertilizer. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. According to the operator, the Bullard airstrip is about 0.5 miles long, narrow, and covered with asphalt. The pilot indicated he encountered a crosswind during the takeoff ground run. The airplane's left wheel drifted off the surface of the airstrip into the soft shoulder. The pilot lost control of the airplane when it veered left. The airplane then nosed down into a ditch and nosed over. -