# Accident 19970814022469A: Cessna A188B, Elwood, NE, August 14, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 14, 1997, 11:45 local time - Place: Elwood, NE - Airport: Johnson Lake Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Location: 40.5800° N, 99.8603° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5800&lon=-99.8603&mi=10 - Aircraft: N731GE, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N731GE-2012-05-18) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna A188B (registry code 2073005, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a188b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA A188B - Reported engine: CONT IO520D - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,700 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA257](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA257) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970814022469A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AIRCRAFT LOST CONTROL ON TAKEOFF, STRUCK PLUM BUSHES AND FLIPPED OVER. (-23) ON AUGUST 14, 1997, AT 1100 CDT, A CESSNA A188B, N731GE, OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN, ON TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK SOME PLUM BUSHES. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY NOSED OVER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 137. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE. THE PILOT REPORTED NO INURIES. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT ELWOOD, NE, AT 1100 CDT. (.4) THE PILOT SAID THAT BEFORE TAKEOFF, HE LOADED THE AIRPLANE WITH 130 GALLONS OF WATER AND CHEMICAL, PLACING THE AIRPLANE NEAR IT'S MAXIMUM RESTRICTED OPERATING GROSS WEIGHT OF 4,200 POUNDS. 'THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 80 DEGREES WITH HIGH HUMIDITY FROM RAIN THE NIGHT BEFORE.' THE WIND WAS LIGHT OUT OF THE WEST. 'I STARTED MY TAKEOFF ROLL TO THE NORTH ON THE GRASS RUNWAY, ROLLED 1,000 FEET, AND BROUGHT THE TAIL UP.' THE PILOT SAID HE ROLLED ANOTHER 500 FEET, LOWERED FIVE DEGREES OF FLAPS, AND STARTED TO LIFT OFF OF THE GROUND. 'THE PLANE SETTLED BACK DOWN.' THE PILOT LOWERED THE FLAPS TO 10 DEGREES AND TRIED TO LIFT OFF AGAI N, BUT THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT TAKE OFF. 'THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A BANK WITH BRUSH ON IT AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY.' EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO ANOMALIES. THE CESSNA A188B OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THAT FOR AIRPLANES OPERATED IN THE RESTRICTED CATEGORY, 'TAKE-OFF PERFORMANCE AT THESE GROSS WEIGHTS IS LIMITED, AND IDEAL FIELD ELEVATION, RUNWAY, AND WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO EXIST IN OBTAINING SATISFACTORY TAKE-OFF PERFORMANCE. OPERATION FROM FIELDS IN EXCESS OF 1,000 ABOVE SEA LEVEL, ROUGH OR SOFT RUNWAYS, ADVERSE RUNWAY GRADIENTS, HIGH OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE, TURBULENCE, ETC., MAY PREVENT A SAFE TAKE-OFF AT THESE GROSS WEIGHTS. ALL OF THESE THINGS MUST BE CONSIDERED BY THE OPERATOR.' THE MANUAL ALSO STATES THAT, 'THE OPTIMUM FLAP SETTING FOR TAKE-OFF AT THE MAXIMUM RESTRICTED CATEGORY GROSS WEIGHT WITH DISPERSAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED IS 10-DEGREES.' ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI97LA257](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA257), Aug 14, 1997: Cessna A188B (N731GE), Elwood, NE, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot not maintaining clearance from the bushes. Factors contributing to this accident were the pilot's inadequate preparation prior to the takeoff attempt, his changing flap positions during the… ## Other reports on N731GE (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20090619009279A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090619009279A), Jun 19, 2009: Cessna A188B (N731GE), Ogden, UT, Substantial damage. (-23) During takeoff at ogd runway 21 with full load of chemical, full throttle 2750 RPM, gradually lost power, not enough altitude or airspeed. A/c went off… - [Accident 20050716015599A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050716015599A), Jul 16, 2005: Cessna A188B (N731GE), Bishop, CA, Substantial damage. (-23) The tail wheel assembly failed in the aft fuselage on landing roll out. The gear assembly rotated 180 degrees. As the aircraft ground looped the fuselage… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.