Dromader M-18 accident near Dumas, Arkansas, June 9, 2003
On June 9, 2003 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Dromader M-18, registered N51402, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dumas, Arkansas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delay in aborting the takeoff and his intentional maneuver to avoid the obstruction at the end of the runway. Contributing factors were the road and ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2003 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dumas, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dromader M-18
- Registration
- N51402 · no longer on the register · serial 1Z-007-17
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft sustained substantial damage when it departed the runway and impacted terrain during an aborted takeoff. The pilot reported, "during takeoff, the wind changed directions and created problems getting the airplane off the ground. At the end of the runway, in [a] last effort, I changed direction of the aircraft crossing a highway and two ditches to a avoid a house." The obstruction was reported as approximately 50 feet from the end of the runway. The pilot stated that the "tail came up a little late", the airplane lifted off, and then started settling. Winds in the area were reported as variable at 3 knots. The pilot reported no anomalies with the aircraft or engine prior to the accident
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,150 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 2,020 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 29, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,436 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 20, 2003; 346 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pzl Mielec M-18 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Perkins Aircraft Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Dumas AR at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from LLQ, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N51402 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.