- Date
- August 19, 2023, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bay Port, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8075GCessna A188B
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO East Michigan
- FAA report
- 20230819012339A
- Case key
- 192917
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 pilot’s decision to takeoff from a soft wet runway with a quartering tailwind which resulted in a lack of climb performance and impact with terrain.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was beginning his fourth agricultural application flight of the day and that the air temperature and wind speed had increased from previous flights that morning. He began the takeoff roll to the north on the soft, wet runway and noted that toward the end of the runway, the airplane entered “ground effect” and had difficulty climbing. He attempted a slight right turn to avoid trees on the northwest end of the runway and the airplane descended into a soybean field and impacted a drainage ditch. The airplane nosed over and tumbled multiple times which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The nearest recorded weather observation reported the wind from 240° at 6 knots, which resulted in a left quartering tailwind for the takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8075G
- Reported as
- Cessna A188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18801226T
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 6,454.5
- Engine
- Continental IO520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Vaughns Flying Service Inc, doing business as Vaughns Flying Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Vaughns Flying Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2023 · 114 hours before
- Airport
- runway 010, 2,400 × 80 ft
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
- 34
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 3, 2022
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 692.5 total · 191.1 in this make and model · 614.6 as pilot in command · 274.1 in the last 90 days · 132.4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KBAX, 12 nm away
- METAR
- KBAX191455Z AUTO 24006KT 10SM CLR 21/12 A3009 RMK AO2 T02090118
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 22, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.4 MB in all.
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 N8075G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.