What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot attempted takeoff from a private grass strip and struck standing corn at the departure end of runway 13 causing the aircraft to flip over and land inverted. The Cessna A188-B agtruck sustained substantial damage. The pilot received only minor injuries to his left knee. Aircraft was loaded with 120 gallons of headline fungicide and between 1/2 to 3/4 fuel. Pilot stated that no mechanical abnormalities were involved. Pilot stated that he had a slight headwind but after a normal liftoff from the runway, he felt like he encounted either a windshift or downdraft. Closest weather reporting facility, plattsmouth (pmv): METAR 120130Z auto 06003KT 10SM clr 23/19 A3012. Post accident computations indicate that aircraft weighed 3,897.8 lbs. Max allowable gross weight is 4,200 lbs. Continued on next page. Aircraft was within center of gravity limitations. The private runway is 2,000 feet long and grass. The grass was dry and mowed short. Field elevation calculated with a garmin 196 GPS was 1,280 feet at the departure end and 1,285 feet at the approach end. Performance calculations using weather conditions from the pmv airport automatic weather observation system (AWOS), indicates ground roll would be 1,346 feet and takeoff over a 50 foot obstacle is 2,204 feet. These figures were taken from the Cessna A188-B owner's manual, chart "takeoff distance with dispersal equipment" for the 300 HP engine with constant speed propeller. Corrections were added to the takoff distance for the grass runway and for temperature of 25 degrees above standard. The correction figures came from the takeoff distance charts for normal category since the restricted category charts did not contain corrective factors for the conditions. Pilot used 10 degrees of flaps, which is suggested by the owner's manual. This was confirmed from visual inspection of the wreckage. Both the flap handle and flaps on the wing indicated that 10 degrees was selected. Aircraft annual inspection was accomplished 05/12/09 and all ad's were complied with.
As the FAA filed it
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
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.