- Date
- July 15, 2000, 15:56 local (20:56 UTC)
- Place
- Rock Dell, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9957JCessna T188C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 6, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000715005199A
- Case key
- 49722
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 failure of the pilot to maintain clearance with the 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 aircraft was substantially damaged when it failed to clear crops on takeoff. In a written statement, the pilot stated, 'Took off from Austin at 3:30. Went to farm Hay field landed. Loaded plane with chemical (160 gal.) to spray a soybean field across the road. On the takeoff run got airborne but couldn't clear hill at end of field. Wind had died by then. Dumped part of the load but not soon enough. Tried to land in the field going up hill. Dirt was soft and plane veered left and nosed over and stopped.' Weather at Rochester, MN, reported at 1354, gave winds as 040 degrees at 6 knots. Winds reported at 1454 were 080 degrees at 8 knots. Winds reported 2 minutes prior to the accident were 060 degrees at 6 knots. Winds reported at 1654 were 090 degrees at 5 knots.
Factual narrative
On July 15, 2000, at 1556 central daylight time, a Cessna T188C, N9957J, piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged when the aircraft failed to clear the terrain on the takeoff from a private field near Rock Dell, Minnesota. The flight was operating under the provision of 14 CFR Part 137, and was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot reported no injures. The local, aerial application flight was originating at the time of the accident.
In a written statement, the pilot stated, "took off from Austin at 3:30. Went to farm Hay field landed. Loaded plane with chemical (160 gal.) to spray a soybean field across the road. On the takeoff run got airborne but couldn't clear hill at end of field. Wind had died by then. Dumped part of the load but not soon enough. Tried to land in the field going up hill. Dirt was soft and plane veered left and nosed over and stopped."
Weather at Rochester, Minnesota, reported at 1354, gave winds as 040 degrees at 6 knots. Winds reported at 1454 were 080 degrees at 8 knots. Winds reported 2 minutes prior to the accident were 060 degrees at 6 knots. Winds reported at 1654 were 090 degrees at 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9957J
- Reported as
- Cessna T188C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T18803886T
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Midwest Ag-Air Inc
- Departed
- PVT
- Airport
- 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 1,500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RST
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 N9957J · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.