- Date
- July 30, 1992, 16:25 local (21:25 UTC)
- Place
- Town Creek, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4495QCessna 188
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920730028599A
- Case key
- 8638
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot which resulted in reduced aircraft performance and the collision with trees during climbout. Factors were the soft and wet terrain.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was attempting a takeoff from a wet sod strip with a full load of chemicals. After the airplane failed to accelerate to liftoff speed, the pilot elected to dump the chemicals; the airplane broke ground and flew briefly. The pilot continued the climbout but never gained enough altitude to clear trees surrounding the sod strip. No mechanical problems were reported by the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4495Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 188
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18800895
- Airframe hours
- 4,295
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D-26B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Harrell Aviation Services Inc.
- Registered owner
- Harrell Aviation Services Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 2, 1992 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- PVT
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,300 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Wind
- 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLS, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4495Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.